Trial over junior banker sleep accommodations is settled, long hours remain

A lawsuit that was set to expose the grind faced by junior bankers has been settled two days before jury selection. Kathryn Shiber reached a settlement with Centerview Partners after alleging she was unlawfully fired in 2020 when the firm granted her accommodations for a mood and anxiety disorder, including a request for eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Court documents cited in the case suggest analysts on active deals at Centerview routinely worked between 60 and 120 hours a week. Recruiters and industry data show those long hours persist. A survey by Odyssey Search Partners of more than 300 first- and second-year analysts found an average workweek of 78 hours in 2025, the same figure recorded in 2022.

Juniors at elite boutiques reported working 82 hours on average, up 4% from 2022, while analysts at bulge-bracket banks averaged 81 hours, up 1%. Banks have introduced measures intended to curb burnout but with limits.

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