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Question Of The Day

What's the Hardest You've Ever Worked?

"Going back to work the day after giving birth to my son."

We've all been up against an impossible deadline, but normally you just go and cry in your boss's small room and they go all stiff and awkward and let you have an extension. Occasionally we will push ourselves in order to impress somebody/not ruin our chances of getting a job. I developed RSI during A-levels but save your tears, because my extreme dedication to holding my pen in the incorrect manner doesn't come close to the fearsome determination shown by Moritz Erhardt.

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The 21-year-old endured most of a seven-week internship at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, in the notoriously stressful investment banking department and was tragically found dead in his shower this week. It is suspected that Erhardt collapsed from over-working himself, which is hardly fanciful seeing as the guy pulled eight all-nighters in two weeks. If that doesn't make you feel lazy and sad as shit, hopefully this will – it's time to ask yourself: What's the hardest you've ever worked?

Andy: Once I painted a two-bedroom flat in two days… Including woodwork!

VICE: That's quite a feat, Andy. How did you manage that?
I didn't sleep and I drank a lot of coffee!

Wow, surely the fumes would have gotten to you after a while.
Well, yeah, I've developed a bit of a twitch.

Has anyone ever told you you look like Ryan Gosling?

…Andy?

John: Well, I've never pulled an all-nighter.
Luke: No – it's not good for your health. As shown.

So what's the hardest ever?
Probably just a normal day.

Boring. How about anything that doesn't technically count as "work"?
John: Yeah, I played football for 60 hours once.

For real?
Yes, it was to raise money for breast cancer research. We broke the world record.

Have you still got the record?
Oh yeah, officially anyway. People have tried to beat it and failed.

That definitely counts as work.

Nikki: That story makes my 15-hour work day seem unimpressive. I've only done two all-nighters in my life.

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Did you at least do loads of illegal dangerous drugs to stay awake?
Estelle: Black coffee?
Nikki: Oh and I seem to remember some chocolate going around. Nothing unusual.

Well done, I certainly couldn't manage an all-nighter.
Well, you aren't working hard enough then, are you.

Hey, let's not get personal.

Ben, charity worker at NSPCC: Oh bloody hell, at its peak I suppose around 13-14 hours in the office.

What takes that much time at the NSPCC?
Well, it's my job to ask the general public for money.

Oh, I see. How do you make it through a 14-hour day?
Coffee in the morning and sheer determination for the rest of the day.

Celia, CEO of her own company:
Going back to work the day after giving birth to my son.

What?
You've got to do what you've got to do.

Good on you, Celia.

Previously – What's the Worst Thing You've Ever Done to an Ex?