JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon slammed workers who had petitioned to halt the financial giant’s newly initiated five-day return-to-office policy.
During an animated town hall meeting on Wednesday, the 68-year-old was questioned on the petition which has garnered roughly 950 signatures.
In a recording reviewed by Reuters, Dimon said: ‘Don’t waste time on it. I don’t care how many people sign that f****** petition.’
Employees at the largest bank in the country have been complaining on internal message boards and chats about losing their hybrid working arrangements.
Dimon demanded more efficiency and stressed that employees have a choice on whether they continue to work at JPMorgan.
He told them not to be mad at him about the rolling back of remote working policies, telling employees it was a free country.
Dimon said that staff had not been paying attention during Zoom meetings, which was reducing efficiency and creativity.
He also said that in-office requirements would not be left up to managers, adding: ‘There is no chance that I will leave it up to managers. Zero chance. The abuse that took place is extraordinary.’
CEO of Chase Jamie Dimon (L) and wife Judith Kent arrive for a State Dinner in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at the Booksellers Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 10, 2024
Employees at the largest bank in the country have been complaining on internal message boards and chats about losing their hybrid working arrangements
JPMorgan’s profits surged to a record in 2024, and its share price roughly doubled in the past five years.
The strong performance prompted some workers to question why they needed to spend more time in the office.
Dimon’s view is shared by many Wall Street leaders and President Donald Trump, who demanded the end of remote working for those in the federal government.
At the end of last month, President Trump said that federal employees that didn’t show up to work in their offices in February would be fired.
He also said some may have to prove they don’t work a second job, threatening employees with two gigs with dismissal.
‘We have informed the federal workforce that if they’re working for the federal government, they must show up to the office on time and on schedule.
‘If they don’t agree by February 6 to show up back to work in their office, they will be terminated,’ he added.
Trump noted he expects some downsizing of the federal work force as a result of his order.
‘We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work, and therefore our government will get smaller and more efficient,’ he said.
At the end of last month, President Trump said that federal employees that didn’t show up to work in their offices in February would be fired
The comments by Dimon come after the company ordered its managers to return to the office full time in 2023.
Execs asked those in charge to ‘lead by example’ and return to the office five days a week, even threatening consequences.
The year before that, Dimon was also leading a charge to get workers back in the office five days a week.
Last month, a new study revealed that working from home could be bad for your health, as it encourages more sedentary lifestyles.
A study of people starting their first job got an extra 28 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, such as walking or cycling.
But those working from home saw an average 32-minute drop in their moderate physical activity.
Researchers compared 128 people who worked from home with more than 3,000 who went to an office or other workplace.
The fall in physical activity for people working at home, based on the analysis, was the equivalent of 32 minutes of moderate activity a day, or 16 minutes of vigorous activity a day.
