To ask those of you who work in the City....

[Moremangos]

DSis recently moved to London and has a PA type job working for a big financial firm. We met for a catch up yesterday and I was shocked to hear about the goings on in her workplace. A number of affairs between the senior male staff and junior female staff members, drunken week nights out and DSis having to book various seedy hotel trips which are not for work purposes, drug use seems to be commonplace and a general culture of female staff members sleeping with and/or flirting with senior staff members to ‘get ahead’. As a feminist and someone who works in a small village for a small company, I have to say I am totally shocked that this still goes on. DSis seemed to think these type of goings on are quite normal in such workplaces and are generally accepted as the norm.

For those of you who work in the City in similar sectors or large firms, I’m interested to know whether this is the case in your experience?

Sounds like some of the places I worked in years ago. I've not worked there for a while but know people who are still there and it sounds a lot milder!

naughty going ons in the medical room/smoking room... or on the large mark up table in our studio (not envy - we used that table for work!)

Big city firms are managed against these shenanigans to within an inch of their lives. The reputational damage to the firm & the wrongful dismissal lawsuits when it goes sour just isn't worth it for a firm of any calibre

I worked in A City, (not The City) in recruitment for a few years when much younger, up until about 12 years ago.

If we had a good sales week we'd stop work at 12 on Friday, the cocaine man would come and we'd all get shit faced in the office, the company would provide the alcohol. We'd win team trips abroad, they were pure debauchery. Affairs were rife. High class bookers were openly used by senior managers. It was like living The Wolf of Wall Street.

Good fun at the time, but I look back like

I work for a Big4 audit firm and it’s utterly professional across the board

I worked in a major financial institution about 5 years ago. I wouldn't say that was common place there. There were a couple dodgy characters that were definitely involved in drugs and were flirty but 95% of the employees weren't like that.

I used to work in the city. There were a lot of affairs going on but I was never aware of any drug use.

Lots of affairs - many openly so. So prevalent and often amongst those that you'd never suspect (good guy types) that it makes my eyes roll when I see any posters here writing "my DH would never have an affair".

Not seen women sleeping with men to get ahead at all actually. Frankly more likely to be a hindrance.

These things I have noticed
*affairs
*using drugs at work, staff night outs, Christmas parties etc.

*dodgey accountants

I think every job I've had someone's been found to have an affair

Most places there has been drug use although mainly after work now but relatively blatant.

Years back a LOT of liquid lunches and office shagging. Again lots of very obvious coke use.

Shocked? Really? Have you been living under a rock?

I worked in the city for a number of years but have not for about 7 years now. It was like that then... not sure if it still is

Not in my firm (v small, everyone knows everyone else's business).

There have been a couple of affairs / one night stands as a result of over indulging at Christmas parties but it's far from systemic.

Equally I know a couple of people take drugs but that's more to do with their personality than company culture. If they were ever caught doing that on the premises they would be asked to leave in no uncertain terms!

Yeah, I’m more shocked that an adult would be “totally shocked” by this. surely if you live in the world you know that things like this happen?!

A big recognisable law firm experience. All as you say...