Top Firm Has A Stinker!

It seems that there are some maintenance issues at HBSC's Headquarters building in Canary Wharf which are causing some investment banking staff a little discomfort.

First off, our sources have told us that the Gents loo on the second floor operations area backed up Friday afternoon, and the smell got so bad that some staff were actually sent home early. Internal audit are said to be looking into the matter, but have so far been unable to identify the culprit.

And, to make matters worse, staff discovered a water leakage on the same floor Monday, but maintenance men were unable to immediately establish where it was coming from. As a result, the water has been turned off from level 5 and below, leaving operations, two trading floors and the 5th floor gym without. Staff have been advised not to leave it to the last minute to go to the loo - as it currently takes a while to get there! Sweaty gym sessions are not currently recommended either.

A spokesperson for HSBC said: 'This is a relatively minor building maintenance matter, which is currently being rectified'.

Finally, and staying with premises, Deutsche Bank has now begun work on what it claims to be the largest office block renovation in Europe. The bank's Frankfurt HQ building is getting a green makeover, aiming to reduce both CO2 emissions and energy consumption by at least 50%.