Rothschild junior bankers denied access to the company butlers

Butlers are generally a thing of the past in Britain, existing only in the popular imagination fuelled by the likes of Downton Abbey and Remains of the Day. Rothschild, however, is an exception: at Rothschild, butlers are still a thing.

We know this because Rothschild has just posted an ad for an assistant head butler to its own job site.  The desired candidate must "ensure the pantry is full stocked", perform the "morning Butler briefing" in the absence of the head butler, manage all the other butlers, and attend management and events meetings.

(An unfortunate typo suggests that the butler's duties may extend further still, but we suppose the extract below is a mistake. ��)

Given that all banks are struggling to keep their junior bankers happy, you might think Rothschild would leverage its butlers (and their pantry) to help retain its juniors. What could be better than having someone to bring you tea, or take your coat, or wheel around a silver cake trolley when you've spent the past 12 hours squinting at spreadsheets?

Nice as this sounds, analysts and associates at Rothschild appear unaware that the butlers and the pantry even exist. "I've never come across them," says one current associate, who expressed astonishment at the job ad. "There was always breakfast in the kitchen area - pastries and things for people who got in early - but I never saw any butlers," says another.

Predictably, therefore, it seems that the Rothschild butlers are restricted to the executive dining rooms and client events. Rothschild juniors are missing out, although they don't seem too bothered: "Butler is just a fancy name for someone whose existence is predicated upon bringing food in and out," says one ex-Rothschild junior.

Contact: sbutcher@efinancialcareers.com