Starting at an MBB firm soon but I'm quite worried about a family member's health situation. Hypothetically, if I need to take emergency leave for a few weeks during projects, are MBB firms usually accommodating or would it significantly affect reviews and future staffing? How do people handle situations like this?
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All consulting firms are very understanding when it comes to genuine family emergencies; we're all human (and at the end of the day, their employees are their only real asset). If it's a real emergency, they will do their best to accommodate your needs.
The key is to communicate the situation clearly and make sure it's understood that this is an actual emergency.
On the other hand, I've personally also seen situations where colleagues abused leave for "family reasons" that weren't truly urgent. As long as it's a legitimate emergency, I wouldn't worry too much about it affecting your long-term trajectory. Your well-being and your family's well-being come first.
Best,
Franco
hey!
Emergency leave at MBB is absolutely possible and firms are generally kind and accommodating when it involves a family health situation. It does not tank your reviews if you communicate early and clearly. What matters is a clean narrative: you inform staffing, give a rough timeline, and stay reachable for basic coordination. People handle this by speaking directly with staffing + their EM/PL, taking the needed weeks, and returning without penalty. MBBs see this regularly and treat it as part of normal life, not a performance issue. If you want, I can outline a short staffing communication flow.
Alessa
From what I've seen, MBB firms are generally very accommodating when it comes to genuine family emergencies. Nobody expects you to prioritize a project over the health of a close family member.
Of course, being away for several weeks may require the team to restaff the project, but that's exactly why firms have staffing managers and larger teams. Life happens.
Could it have some short-term impact on staffing or timing of reviews? Possibly, depending on the circumstances. But in the grand scheme of things, it's much less important than taking care of your family.
My advice would be: if the situation arises, communicate early and be transparent with your manager and staffing team. They are usually much more understanding than people imagine.
And more broadly, don't lose sight of what really matters. Consulting is an important job, but it's still just a job. Family and health come first, and no career is worth compromising the things that are truly important in life.
Hi there,
Emergency leave for a family health situation is genuinely accommodated at MBB. This is not the kind of thing that hurts your reviews or your standing, provided you handle the communication well.
A few practical points from having managed teams through this:
- Flag it early: tell your manager and/or staffing as soon as you can, even if the timeline is uncertain. "I may need two to three weeks, I'll confirm as soon as I know more" is far better than a late surprise. They plan around people all the time; what they can't plan around is silence.
- Hand over well: if you're on a project or proposal when it happens, transition your workstreams properly so nothing is left dangling, and if you can, make yourself reachable for quick coordination from time to time, at moments convenient to you rather than to the team.
- Do not worry about reviews: you're assessed on what you delivered while on the project, not the weeks you were away. A genuine emergency isn't held against you, and handling the handover calmly and professionally tends to leave a good impression.
- Check the mechanics upfront, and consider delaying your start: before you begin, quietly check how your contract and office handle extended leave. And if the situation is likely to come to a head in your first weeks, it may be cleaner to push your start date rather than begin and immediately step away. HR is the right place to raise these questions, and it's a completely normal conversation.
Hope it helps and the situation with your family member turns out okay.
Federico
Hi there,
From my experience, if you have a personal reason, they are always very flexible and accommodating. Everybody has some struggle at some point or another, so do communicate with them as early as you can and I'm sure you'll figure out a solution.
Best,
Cristian
