JPMorgan Chase CEO Dimon derides pushback to return to office, demands efficiency

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JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon scorned calls from some employees to soften the bank's five-day return-to-office policy in an animated town hall meeting on Wednesday, according to a recording reviewed by Reuters.

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Employees at the largest U.S. bank have complained on internal message boards and chats about losing hybrid working arrangements, and one group launched an online petition urging Dimon to reconsider.

When asked about the in-person work policy during the staff meeting, he said: "Don't waste time on it. I don't care how many people sign that (expletive) petition," he said, drawing some laughter.

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Instead, Dimon demanded more efficiency and stressed employees have a choice whether to work at JPMorgan. The CEO told them not to be mad at him, and said it was a free country.

The rollback of remote working policies has prompted groans from some workers as COVID lockdowns receded. JPMorgan's call for more workers to come back brought a deluge of complaints, many from back-office workers.

Some employees sought advice from the Communications Workers of America on how they might set up a labor union, a rare thing in the U.S. finance sector, CWA campaign lead Nick Wiener said.

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In-office requirements will not be left up to managers, Dimon said.

"There is no chance that I will leave it up to managers," he said. "Zero chance. The abuse that took place is extraordinary."

Dimon's view is shared by many Wall Street leaders and President Donald Trump, who demanded the end of remote work arrangements in the federal government. Several other Columbus employers, including AEP, Huntington Bank and state government have recently said they will require workers to come to the office more.

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