I am a technologist at an international investment bank. My job is to help the bank create best in class technology systems that will allow it to make money. And yet for some reason, I am being evaluated on my enthusiasm for participating in its endless flow of charitable activities.
It is not that I am against charity. It is not that I am against volunteering. I am against participation in volunteering days being included as a performance objective in my annual appraisal. I don’t think it has anything to do with my job. I certainly don’t think I should my bonus curtailed because of it.
Unfortunately I fear that this is exactly what is going to happen. I’ve been subjected to this ‘charity clause’ since around 2015 and have managed to seem sufficiently enthusiastic until now. This year, however, I just haven’t been able to face the volunteering days. I’ve got a toddler and a tired wife, and one of them fell on my birthday. When I attend a volunteering day for work, I usually have to work extra time at the weekend. I’m not prepared to do that any more.
Banks, however, are always looking for an excuse to cut pay. When I didn’t attend our recent volunteering day (off-site, East London, 9am to 3pm) I got a veeeeeery long look from my manager. I know what he’s thinking and I’m already annoyed.
This should not be part of my objectives. It’s meaningless: it doesn’t mean I don’t give to charity (I do) and it doesn’t mean I’m not a team player (I am). It’s putting charity activities as a requirement into a workplace “performance objective” document that scandalizes me. I grew up in Soviet Union, and I did not expect to find the Soviet ritual of “subbotnik” (see Wikipedia) to catch me in the lair of capitalism.
Hubert Dobrowski is a pseudonym
Have a confidential story, tip, or comment you’d like to share? Contact: sbutcher@efinancialcareers.com in the first instance. Whatsapp/Signal/Telegram also available.
Bear with us if you leave a comment at the bottom of this article: all our comments are moderated by human beings. Sometimes these humans might be asleep, or away from their desks, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. Eventually it will – unless it’s offensive or libelous (in which case it won’t.)
Related articles:
David Solomon’s opening salvo to Goldman Sachs employeesRead incoming CEO David Solomon's initial message to Goldman Sachs employees on his first day.
COMMENT: How to pretend to be a team player when you work in financeYou need to say one thing and do another, says this VP at a U.S. investment bank.
Now Deutsche Bank lost multiple members of its real estate teamAt least six people in another Deutsche investment banking team have decided they're better off elsewhere.
““