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- Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon moved executives' offices closer to everyday employees.
- The move irked executives, who had to give up cushier office spaces with views of the Hudson River.
- Employees say the company's top brass are still as distant as ever.
Goldman Sachs executives are annoyed after CEO David Solomon relocated them from cushy offices with views of the Hudson River on the 41st floor into cubicles on the 12th floor closer to the company's rank-and-file employees, the New York Post reported.
In an internal memo, Solomon said he wanted executives to be closer to the "Sky Lobby," which is a center of collaboration at the company with couches, a cafeteria, and a gym.
"The Sky Lobby was specifically designed to be the hub of this office," Solomon wrote in the memo, the Post reported. "There is a natural 'buzz' there, and I want our leadership team to be part of it."
However, sources told the Post that company executives are still distanced from everyday employees by a spiral staircase, and that the executives typically work from the executives' individual conference rooms. An anonymous source also told the Post that there wasn't enthusiastic support for the move.
Though the move was announced in December 2019, it wasn't implemented until this summer due to pandemic-related lockdowns.
"The new space on 12 is modern and open, joining us with other innovative companies in designing a flexible floor plan that invites and engages. Some may quibble about the color of the comfy green chairs - but our employees and executives overwhelmingly agree it's a great space to meet, catch up and grab a coffee with colleagues," Goldman Sachs spokesperson Andrea Williams told Insider.
Many Goldman Sachs employees aren't back to working in the company's offices full-time, with many preferring a hybrid arrangement where they filter in and out of the office throughout a week. Some junior bankers have also resisted returning to company offices after spending much of the pandemic in their homes around the country.
source https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-execs-irked-after-ceo-moved-them-regular-workers-2021-10