Being Always Online WFH | "Away"/"Offline" Status on communicator?

Hi Monkeys,

As WFH is still prevalent, I guess many of you noticed that very "keen" VPs/MDs expect their staff to be always online. I feel like whenever I leave my desk to fulfill my physiological needs and do not respond in less than a minute to an incoming message it gets marked by them. (physiological needs here do not include sex, otherwise I would easily be under one minute mark consistently).

Anyways, I noticed an interesting technique employed by some senior monkeys (Associates) that set their communicator permanently to "away". This way, the eager VP/MD cannot tell if they are working or not.

What is your way to reduce the pressure of being "always online"? Do you recommend being "offline/away" permanently?

Desperate 1st year Analyst.

6 Comments
 

Dolorem ipsum asperiores suscipit aliquid. Distinctio amet doloribus molestiae reiciendis repellat ut animi ullam.

Est dolor iste aperiam eligendi aut pariatur. Recusandae qui voluptatibus tempora ut omnis magnam ab earum. Id natus accusamus eos eaque. Provident ut corrupti impedit molestiae dolores illum at. Quia ut molestiae quaerat saepe sit et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”