When Ruwan Subasinghe was a trainee lawyer in one of London’s big firms, he was so overworked that on one occasion he didn’t leave the office for three days. When he and his colleagues slept under their desks, they were told to place their phones on their chests so the vibrations would wake them if anyone called.

Are you reaching for your tiny violin? Like many people, my instinct has been to roll my eyes a little at the complaints that have emerged in recent years from tired lawyers and miserable junior bankers. I spend much of my professional life listening to overworked HGV drivers, Deliveroo couriers, healthcare staff, factory workers and office cleaners, which has left me somewhat unsympathetic to highly paid people who could do something else if they chose.

But sympathy isn’t really the point. Burnt-out lawyers, bankers and consultants are highlighting problems that exist across the pay distribution with serious consequences. And paying attention to the concerns of people at the top can help inform the debate over how to improve jobs at the bottom as well.