Banking Intern Worked to Death

Well, capitalism has hit a new low. This has been happening in Asia for a while now, but this is the first record of it I've seen in a western nation. This should be seen as an indictment of the corrupt, inhuman corporate system, and the banking system in particular. These are the same people who collapsed the world economy five years ago and got away with it, are we going to let them get away with this?

www.nbcnews.com...#

From your source:

The cause of his death is unknown.

Nothing a sensational title couldn't fix though. Not to mention that your title does not match the title from your source. If this man died because of exhaustion it was not the fault of the bank, but the fault of his own greed.

This is also from your source:

Attracted to the glass towers of finance in London, New York and Singapore by the prospect of securing a full-time job and hefty wage, future "masters of the universe" often face 20-hour days in some of the most adrenaline-soaked offices on earth.

Emphasis mine.

He knew what he was up against, and the risk was obviously worth the possible reward or he would have been doing something else.

often face 20-hour days

This is not acceptable unless you're in a war zone. Yes, I blame the banks, not the 20 year old kid. Blaming him is about as honorable as shooting someone in the bank.

reply to post by CB328


I actually agree with you on this one. I'd read about it and looked into it when it first broke awhile ago because, hey, I'll be an intern someday as part of my grad requirements when I get to the end of my university program. 14+ hour days they work them...one story said for the interns there. Yikes

I know interns are basically the workplace water boy to go do the worst jobs, for no thanks and generally crappy treatment all around ..but can they at least be permitted to survive the experience?

The article talks like an intern should be up to 20 hour days like the big boys. Well, they can STUFF it. I work 20 hours days often enough and I did on the truck (shhhh... what DOT doesn't know won't hurt anyone) but I developed that over years. If I'd forced a trainee to do that it would have killed him or us both.

Internship shouldn't be a license to abuse the hell out of people and this whole system has been a source of abuse..at least in too many instances..for far too long, IMO.

reply to post by CB328


I honestly don't understand? What did they have him do for 20 hours? Count money? Send out bank statements? What?

That is certainly a sensationalized article. I expect no less from any NBC or Reuters product these days.

The cause of death is not yet known. It's entirely possible that work had zero to do with this; in fact it is likely that is the case.

A healthy person would not collapse and die over that. We are not talking physical labor here.

I do agree they have point in discussing this however. I'd agree there should be limits on hours. Maybe a limit of 12 hours per day maximum.

I can understand why people are willing to do this for a higher than normal income. I worked 8 hours every night in a Truckstop and then carried a full load in College and survived just fine. After I often worked 6 or 7 12 hour days in industrial construction and on oil rigs because they paid so much and overtime pay was huge.

I did not even see the persons age in the article?

Either way, the people doing this are not in any way forced to do it; they choose to do it.

I'm not sure why NBC has different versions of the same story for fact content? I think the differences in the two stories are pretty important to context and being upset over hearing about it. Here is the one I caught yesterday if it adds to the OP. It does give a few other specifics for working conditions.

One former investment banker confirmed that interns could regularly work 14 hour days.

The banker, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Independent: "Interns can regularly clock up to 100 or even 110 hours a week, but people are fully aware that banking is hard work and the company constantly reminds you to manage upwards in order to not overheat.

Source: BofA intern dies after reportedly working 3 straight days

110 hours a week? Well, if they chose that...fine..but interns don't choose a thing. They get to DO what they are told to do or they can be sent back with a failed internship. That isn't how one graduates with a bright future. It mentions he was also epileptic. I'm not sure how that plays in but to say working him beyond exhaustion, as it sounds may well have happened here? Well..That obviously wasn't the best idea. Just my take on the totality of information which is out there about this case.

* By the way, according to the NBC article linked above, he was just 21 years old and at the end of the internship. I take exhaustion for $100 with a nod to the epilepsy as a possibly added factor?

reply to post by CB328


When I worked in oil rigs in North Dakota as a roughneck I averaged a 105 hours a week for a year and a half in temperature ranges of -65F and 110F.... Seems to me like this banker was a pussy if he can't handle 20hr shifts. I put two 40 hr shifts back to back with 2hr nap between then several times and I am still here. Also the labor laws in that state do not require lunches and breaks.... I literally had to sneak and eat my food with crude oil and dirt squirting out of the rig onto my food and stay working the whole time. I had to also keep my food in my pocket so I could sneak in a bite or two if I had a lull in work while nobody was looking. Yes it was his own greed that killed him and its his fault for putting up with it.

reply to post by agentblue


I worked the Boom in Wyoming in the 1970's. One wildcat outfit called True ran only two crews working 7 twelves. Always tripping due to the rock we were going through. Man they paid good though. I took the first construction job I could find to get off that rig, but I made a years wages in three months. Hated those rigs but I needed the money. Nobody forced me to do it, just like nobody forced this person to do this.

With this fellow the article does not really give any info. They just used it as a segue into this topic. He may have dropped dead anyway. No way of knowing until they know the cause of death I think.

It's entirely possible that work had zero to do with this

Yeah, I'm sure going with hardly any sleep for days couldn't possibly have any bearing on it.

o well one less trainee banker bring in the next one fxxx them i aint got any compassion for a banker they do not have any for you ? why cry for the enemy

Originally posted by CB328

It's entirely possible that work had zero to do with this

Yeah, I'm sure going with hardly any sleep for days couldn't possibly have any bearing on it.

People that ACTUALLY WORK for a living do this sometimes !!!!

Much to your amazement

Or maybe curiosity killed the cat?

According to his biography on the social media platform Seelio, Erhardt said he was naturally inquisitive

Bank of America’s work practices questioned after intern who worked 12-hour days found dead

Also BofA !

Some of WikiLeaks' Bank of America data destroyed


Bank of America Employing Three Intelligence Firms to Dismantle WikiLeaks

Nah, probably nothing to see here...


Edit: I made a new thread, hope that's OK...

Dead BofA Intern Moritz Erhardt - A Would-be Whistleblower?

let's say that work had nothing to do with this (though it is known that overworking can kill).

are you people honestly fine with being forced to work the majority of your life away? and yes, i say forced. what would you do without money? lose your property and starve.

slaves fighting to support the same system that enslaves them on the small chance that they will be elevated to a higher class of slave to enjoy creature comforts far beyond their need on the backs of others.

before i am bashed as a "hippy" who doesn't want to work: i was a welder for a time, working 12+hour days doing physically demanding tasks.

I haven't read the article but I wonder if it was an unpaid internship?

I bet he worked unpaid without any benefits. In that case, he would have done better as a lot lizard working the drivers at the local rest areas, that one has on the job training at least.