ivan 2:19 Wed Feb 23
The City in the 90's
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I was just thinking about the culture of working in the city and whether it has changed ?
i used to do IT Support in the 90's at various banks and many lunchtimes were spent in the local pubs quite often not returning to the office until the next day.
Even sometimes attending strip bars , i think one was called the metropolitan
Now i live and work in Sussex and popping to M&S for a sandwich is as rock and roll as it gets
i know a lot of you guys work in the city have things calmed down or does the carnage continue most day's ?
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
Far Cough
5:01 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Not sure I got "shedloads" of holidays in America, yeah we got the usual Vets Day, Labour Day Easter and Thanksgiving but only one fucking day at Christmas, Boxing day doesn't exist, as for vacation days, you'll be lucky if you get more than five days when you start a new job, you have to work up to getting more days, it took me quite a while to get just three fucking weeks.
Whoever it was that said America is very work conscious, absolutely, even your free time, you're on fucking call and it seems bad form not to make yourself available, at one point I was working 16 hour days, that fucking kills you in the end, glad they found someone else.
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mashed in maryland
4:43 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Jim
https://www.trade2win.com/threads/the-arcade-traders-pit-stories-thread.16898/
Think this is it, not too sure as not gone thru it, but were stories like hiring midgets on fridays to run round serving everyone drinks etc.
That threads from 2005... as long ago from now as 2005 was from the 80s.
Three totally different worlds.
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joe royal
4:39 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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This thread is a real life city boy book.
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Swiss.
3:01 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Sold I think they get fuck all Public and State holidays...
Labour day, Luther King day, Xmas and Thanksgiving thurs.
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Eerie Descent
1:55 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Me, lager. Finchy, lager. Gareth, lager sometimes cider, so different drinks for different... needs.
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Jim79
1:17 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Mashed, that'll be great if you can pull out the link to that post. Ive got too many stories to even consider writing them all but love hearing more. It was a great time to be in the industry and revisiting them, albeit it in print, just reminds us how much the City has changed for the worst. Still my body and specifically liver is thankful.
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zebthecat
12:58 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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I worked for an American company in the City for 9 years.
It was very staid but the management was a revelation compared to the UK places I had worked at - very flat and us workers who actually did stuff were given a plan, trusted and left to get on with it with no interference.
The pay was very good as were the perks and annual pay rises. The other side of the coin is that they were utterly ruthless if they didn't want you any more. People were called into HR, given a cheque and a bin liner and asked to clear their desks and leave the building.
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Northern Sold
12:50 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Yeah yanks only get a couple of weeks actual AL but they get shit loads of Public and State holidays... remember speaking to a yank couple in Marathon key... told them that we was over for 23 days ... couldn't get their head around that I had 25 days AL (now 30) ... but depending what State you live in you get shed loads of days holiday..
Texas do alright...
https://publicholidays.com/us/texas/2022-dates/
and I love that Alabama and a few of the other Southern states celebrate Rober E Lee Day and Confederate day.... yeeee haaaa
https://publicholidays.com/us/alabama/2022-dates/
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Swiss.
11:57 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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The Swedes like an early start at 8.00 but they take lunch at 11.30. Funny as also they like the "Fika" a coffee and cake break around 10.00. But also they leave around 17.00. About 30 days vacation plus usually they take 30 days off sick a year.
Yeah US 10 days vacation but I think 5 personal days to have yer back, crack and sack waxed...etc
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Manuel
11:50 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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I think in the US they get approx 10 days leave a year.
As for the 8am starts these days, I've been out the loop for a long time now, but yea that wouldn't surprise me.
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mashed in maryland
11:19 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Manuel
Pal of mine was offered a job in the states. Incredible money and an advance on wages to get himself somewhere to live etc... however... zero holidays, and expected to work 6 days a week. From research (ie, googling, and reading forums etc), this seems pretty normal, and apparently taking time off sick or for holidays is frowned upon. You're expected to live your job.
Regarding start times... 8am is pretty normal nowadays for desk jobs. Even 7am. Definitely wasn't the case not that long ago.
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Manuel
10:52 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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mashed in maryland 10:43 Thu Mar 3
''Yank corporate work culture seems like hell on Earth''
It is. I worked for one such entity for a short time in London. Treated like a slave, and forget 9-5..expected in at around 8 and god forbid if you dare leave anywhere even close to 5.30, half hour for lunch. Needless to say I didn't last long.
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mashed in maryland
10:48 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Jim79 5:43 Mon Feb 28
There's a thread somewhere online from about 2005 full of stories about the pit traders etc from the 80s and 90s. Sounded absolutely fucking insane what they got up to. A MATE sent it to me a while ago, will try dig it out.
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mashed in maryland
10:43 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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Yank corporate work culture seems like hell on Earth.
Someone said once "the Americans are more Japanese than the Japanese"
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nychammer
2:44 Thu Mar 3
Re: The City in the 90's
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"Having worked for a lot of yank firms, across the pond and here where drinking at lunch is a big no no, you can't help thinking it's had a lot of influence on the working culture here."
We used to get dragged kicking and screaming to the pub on Friday lunch back in the day, over here you barely leave your desk
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Side of Ham
8:19 Wed Mar 2
Re: The City in the 90's
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Swiss, I remember a thing called ‘Investors in people’ (don’t know if this still exists) and it was totally inspired by yank company team building exercises/weekends away etc all popular across all sectors from about 96/97 onwards.
From them I think it was the downfall for any good times to be had at work, replaced by corporate bollocks….
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Swiss.
6:45 Wed Mar 2
Re: The City in the 90's
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I was back in the City summer of 2011. Went to couple of slurps around this time although not really relevant. I was surprised to see hardly anyone drinking at lunch times period. OK a few more on Fridays. Big change since the late 90s.
Having worked for a lot of yank firms, across the pond and here where drinking at lunch is a big no no, you can't help thinking it's had a lot of influence on the working culture here.
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Jim79
1:12 Wed Mar 2
Re: The City in the 90's
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Tanglefoot, i was there from around the end of 98 to about 2004 from recollection. I was on the Interest Rate Options desk and then moved on to the trading desk at City Index which at the time was a wholly owned subsidiary in Park House, Finsbury Circus. Loved the place and still one of the best companies I worked for. Ended up at Trads for a few years which was ok but not on the same level as the good old days at ICAP, charity day was always a brilliant event.
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Jim79
1:11 Wed Mar 2
Re: The City in the 90's
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Tanglefoot, i was there from around the end of 98 to about 2004 from recollection. I was on the Interest Rate Options desk and then moved on to the trading desk at City Index which at the time was a wholly owned subsidiary in Park House, Finsbury Circus. Loved the place and still one of the best companies I worked for. Ended up at Trads for a few years which was ok but not on the same level as the good old days at ICAP, charity day was always a brilliant event.
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Pagey
11:38 Tue Mar 1
Re: The City in the 90's
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The great stories aren’t limited to those who work in the City to be fair.
I worked in an office in Essex a few years ago and someone was doing the lunch run. Gill asked for a chicken salad sandwich but John got her a tuna and sweetcorn one in error. And Gill hated tuna!
Great days…….
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Al Wood
10:58 Tue Mar 1
Re: The City in the 90's
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Great thread with some great stories. Sad how much it’s all changed although in some cases it was needed.
Very little debauchery happens these days with I think the only industry still active is Insurance. They still actively encourage underwriters and brokers to go out in the ‘market’ on expenses, but all very tame really.
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