Story 291
I was an Investment Counselor in the Beverly Hills office of Citi Private Bank. I was investigated over a <$50 cab expense that resulted from a misunderstanding between me and the Private Banker I supported. The HR investigation was heavy-handed, and the firm informed me that my bonus would be withheld until the matter was resolved. The experience was incredibly and unnecessarily stressful.
This was particularly frustrating given the well-known pattern of expense policy abuse by numerous male Managing Directors. For example, one guy reportedly flies from Singapore to New York at least once a year. Once he arrives in the states, he intentionally books his itineraries as NY > LA > Miami > SF, rather than the more direct NY > Miami > LA > SF, in order to qualify for first-class travel under the firm’s expense policy. These trips are rumored to cost as much as $75K each. Although he has reportedly been brought to HR’s attention, he has consistently been cleared.
In contrast, I was threatened with terminated over a minor cab expense that was easily explainable. The double standard in how women are treated at Citi is striking, and the company makes no effort to conceal it.