Wall Street in Court: Kathryn Shiber's Lawsuit Against Centerview Partners Over the Right to Sleep

Former financial analyst Kathryn Shiber has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, the boutique investment bank Centerview Partners. The case originated in August 2020, when Shiber, then just 21 years old, was dismissed from her job. The dispute centers on the conflict between the rigorous demands of investment banking and the health needs of an employee. The plaintiff was diagnosed with mood and anxiety disorders, which became the basis for requesting special employment conditions. According to reports, Shiber negotiated a clause upon hiring that guaranteed her nine hours of uninterrupted sleep between midnight and nine in the morning. In return, she committed to being fully available for the remaining 15 hours of each day, seven days a week. The incident that directly led to the termination of her employment was the analyst logging off from work systems at midnight without prior notification to senior-level supervisors. Pressure on Wall Street has led to numerous tragedies in recent decades, including deaths from overwork among young interns, which forced the world's largest banks to introduce so-called “protected Saturdays”. A proceeding is currently underway in a New York court to determine whether expecting full operational readiness at four in the morning is justified for junior analysts. 9 hours — of sleep per day requested by the employee The bank's defense suggests that the nature of mergers and acquisitions makes rigid adherence to nighttime breaks impossible. Shiber, however, argues that her lawsuit is based on disability discrimination. The outcome of this case could set a precedent that changes the work culture at the global financial center. „I hoped my employer would honor the agreements regarding mental health protection, but I was penalized for needing physiological recovery.” — Kathryn Shiber [{"aspect": "Availability", "before": "24/7 on demand", "after": "15 hours per day"}, {"aspect": "Guaranteed Sleep", "before": "None / dependent on assignments", "after": "9 hours (00:00-09:00)"}]