JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon has made it clear that employees unwilling to comply with the company's full return-to-office mandate should consider working elsewhere. Speaking at a recent town hall meeting, Dimon dismissed an internal petition against the policy, reportedly saying, "I don't care how many people sign that f****** petition."
The policy, set to take effect in March, will require hybrid employees-about 30% of the bank's 300,000-person workforce-to work from the office five days a week. This marks a shift from the post-pandemic hybrid model that allowed employees to work remotely one or two days a week.
"Developing effective teams and maintaining a vibrant, healthy culture are clearly key for our success-and we believe best achieved through working together in person," JPMorgan's Operating Committee said in a memo announcing the policy. Dimon has repeatedly defended the decision, arguing that in-person work enhances collaboration, learning, and efficiency.
The move has sparked pushback from employees, with more than 1,300 signing a petition calling the mandate a "great leap backward." The petition, hosted on coworker.org, claims that the new policy will negatively impact employees, customers, and shareholders, while also worsening traffic congestion and pollution. It further argues that the change disproportionately affects women, caregivers, senior employees, and individuals with disabilities, many of whom joined JPMorgan under the flexibility of hybrid work.
Employees also raised concerns about office conditions, stating that many will not be working from the company's new 60-story headquarters in New York but instead in "crowded" corporate offices described as "noisy, inefficient, and uncomfortable," with limited space, parking, and food-service options.
Despite employee concerns, Dimon remains resolute. "There is no chance that I will leave it up to managers," he said at the town hall meeting, explaining that past flexibility had been "abused."
The return-to-office policy extends beyond the U.S. to JPMorgan's global operations. In the United Kingdom, where the bank employs about 22,000 people, staff have also been told they will need to return to the office full-time. The policy shift has caused frustration among JPMorgan's 14,000 employees in London, many of whom are based in offices at Canary Wharf and Victoria Embankment. With the London offices unable to accommodate all staff at once, employees will be phased back in floor by floor starting in March.
A London-based investment banker, who spoke anonymously to MailOnline, said, "Jamie Dimon is set on the fact he wants an in-the-office model, and if people don't want to be there, they shouldn't be working at JPMorgan."
The policy aligns JPMorgan with other major corporations, including Amazon and Dell, which have also ordered full-time office returns. The shift comes amid broader corporate resistance to remote work, with former President Donald Trump signing an executive order last month mandating all federal agencies require employees to return to the office.
Despite employee resistance, JPMorgan continues to post strong financial results. The bank reported record full-year profits of $58 billion in January, driven by increased revenue and market volatility ahead of the U.S. election. The firm's trading business also saw substantial gains.
JPMorgan declined to comment on the employee petition or Dimon's remarks at the town hall.
