Citigroup CEO Calls for 'Zoom-Free Fridays' to Fight Pandemic Fatigue

Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser recently told staff that she is banning internal video calls on Fridays in an effort to encourage workers to set boundaries for a healthier work-life balance and is instituting a firm-wide bank holiday called “Citi Rest Day” in an effort to fight pandemic fatigue in employees.

CNBC reports that Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser recently told staff that she is banning internal video calls on Friday to encourage staff to set boundaries for a healthier work-life balance and plans to institute a firmwide holiday called Citi Reset Day as many employees become increasingly fatigued with the remote pandemic workplace environment.

Fraser replaced her predecessor Mike Corbat this month and informed the company’s 210,000 employees of the new changes in a memo on Monday afternoon. Fraser stated in the memo:

The blurring of lines between home and work and the relentlessness of the pandemic workday have taken a toll on our well-being.

It’s simply not sustainable. Since a return to any kind of new normal is still a few months away for many of us, we need to reset some of our working practices.

Fraser stated that while Zoom meetings with clients and regulators will still happen on Fridays, employees will conduct meetings over the phone to give workers a break from videoconference. Fraser also designated Friday, May 28, a firmwide holiday called Citi Reset Day and encouraged employees to only schedule calls during traditional working hours.

“When our work regularly spills over into nights, very early mornings and weekends, it can prevent us from recharging fully, and that isn’t good for you nor, ultimately, for Citi,” Fraser said. She further added that the pandemic “has opened doors to new ways of working and shown that we are able to adapt to and even flourish amid adversity.”

“Nothing should stop us from building a bank that wins, a bank that champions excellence and a bank with a soul,” Fraser stated.