Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Citi launches Zoom-Free Fridays, but there's a catch

Citi launches Zoom-Free Fridays, but there's a catch

Citigroup is launching "Zoom-Free Fridays" as a way to help the bank's burned-out employees cope with stress a year into the pandemic.

"The blurring of lines between home and work and the relentlessness of the pandemic workday have taken a toll on our well-being," Citi CEO Jane Fraser wrote in a Monday memo to all employees obtained by CNN Business. "It's simply not sustainable."

The announcement comes just days after a dozen junior analysts at Goldman Sachs detailed horror stories of sleeping just five hours a night and enduring workplace abuse.

Fraser, the first woman to lead a major US bank, explained the decision to ban internal video calls on Fridays came in response to feedback from Citi's 210,000-person global workforce.

"After listening to colleagues around the world," Fraser wrote, "it became apparent we need to combat the 'Zoom fatigue' that many of us feel, so I overcame my initial resistance to this idea."

However, Citi (C) said employees may still be expected to hop on internal audio-only calls as well as external Zoom calls, including with clients and regulators.

In addition to Zoom-Free Fridays, Fraser asked employees to try to limit scheduling calls outside of what had been traditional working hours pre-pandemic and on weekends.

"When our work regularly spills over into nights, very early mornings and weekends, it can prevent us from recharging fully, and that isn't good for you nor, ultimately, for Citi," she wrote.

Wall Street bank promises free Pelotons, iPads


Fraser also urged employees to take their vacation time and announced Citi will hold a firm-wide holiday for the second year in a row. Dubbed Citi Reset Day, the holiday will take place Friday, May 28. Bloomberg News first reported the Citi memo.

The moves by Citi show how Wall Street firms are responding to the mental health pressure facing employees. Booming markets and seismic changes in the economy have created ample business — and stress — for investment banks during the pandemic.

"My body physically hurts all the time and mentally I'm in a really dark place," one Goldman Sachs analyst wrote in the survey of first-year analysts.

Goldman Sachs (GS) CEO David Solomon left a voice message for staff, on a Sunday, pledging to speed up the hiring of junior bankers and to strengthen enforcement of a rule that says junior staff should not be expected to be in the office between 9 pm Friday and 9 am Sunday.

"Clients are active, and volumes in a lot of our businesses are at historic highs," Solomon said. "Of course, the combination of the pandemic and all this activity put stress and strain on everyone at Goldman Sachs."

Meanwhile, Jefferies is sending gifts to its analysts and associates around the world as a token of appreciation, according to a March 18 memo sent to staff.

The bank is offering these employees the choice of a Peloton bike with a one-year subscription, a Mirror workout system or an Apple package that includes the Apple Watch SE, iPad Air and AirPods Pro.

The work-from-home debate


The freebies come as Wall Street leaders deliberate how and when to reopen their offices. A new KPMG survey of 500 CEOs shows that some major global companies no longer plan to trim their physical footprint after the pandemic. Just 17% plan reductions, compared with 69% in August.

At Citi, Fraser did not explicitly detail a reopening date, but said: "Any kind of new normal is still a few months away for many of us."

Like other big banks, Citi, which has nearly 67,000 employees in North America, is indicating a preference for in-office work after a year of being mostly remote.

"For many of our roles, we strongly believe there are several material advantages to being physically together," Fraser said.

She argued that working together in-person can drive a sense of pride, promote collaboration, aid apprenticeship and break down silos.

"These attributes are a big driver of why you will be expected in the office or on site," Fraser said.

The Citi CEO said most roles around the globe will be classified as hybrid, meaning they will work in the office at least three days a week and from home no more than twice a week.

Some jobs, including branch employees or data center workers, will be required to work on site. Fraser said it will be "somewhat rare" to have new roles that will be fully remote.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×