Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan, denies a petition from employees against the required office return

Jamie Dimon, who emphasizes workplace efficiency and rejects hybrid job demands, has ignored employee objections regarding JPMorgan’s five-day office arrangement.

According to a recording seen by Reuters, at a contentious town hall meeting on Wednesday, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon angrily dismissed staff concerns on the company’s required five-day in-office policy.

By Wednesday night, an internal petition with around 950 signatures calling for a review of the policy had been rejected by Dimon.

“Stop wasting time on it. Some attendees laughed when he said, “I don’t care how many people sign that f*g petition.” JPMorgan, which has over 317,000 employees globally, chose not to respond to the comments.

As the banking sector continues to pull down post-pandemic remote work flexibility, the drive to eradicate hybrid work has created annoyance, especially among back-office employees. According to CWA campaign lead Nick Wiener, some workers have even asked the Communications Workers of America for advice on whether to organize a union.

Notwithstanding the criticism from the workforce, Dimon stated unequivocally that going back to work is not negotiable and that individual managers will not make the decision. “I can’t possibly leave it to managers,” he declared. “There is no chance. The level of abuse that occurred is astonishing.

Additionally, the CEO has set ambitious efficiency goals, directing all departments to increase production by 10%. Reducing the number of reports, meetings, paperwork, and training sessions is part of this. Citing examples of workers not paying attention during Zoom sessions, he contended that distant work had decreased engagement, creativity, and efficiency.

The biggest US bank, JPMorgan, had its stock price nearly double over the previous five years, and its profits soared to all-time highs in 2024. Despite the company’s financial success, several employees have questioned why office attendance is given priority.

Dimon’s position supports President Donald Trump’s order to ban remote work for government employees and is consistent with larger trends among Wall Street executives. JPMorgan’s leadership is steadfast in upholding a conventional in-office work culture despite ongoing opposition to full-time office returns.