JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon scolded employees Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, during a fiery internal town hall, after workers raised concerns with the bank’s five-day return-to-office policy, according to audio reviewed by The Hill.
“It simply doesn’t work,” Dimon said, referring to policies that allow employees to work remotely. “And it doesn’t work for creativity. It slows down decisionmaking.”
“And don’t give me the s‑‑‑ that ‘work from home Friday’ works. I call a lot of people on Friday. There’s not a goddamn person to get a hold of,” he added during the meeting.
Some staffers at the nation’s largest bank joined forces to sign a petition urging the CEO not to remove hybrid workdays. However, Dimon condemned the effort while claiming that work-from-home opportunities are harming the next generation of workers.
“The young generation is being damaged by this. That may or may not be in your particular staff, but they are being left behind,” he said during the event.
“They’re being left behind socially, ideas, meeting people — In fact, my guess is most of you live in communities a hell of a lot less diverse than this room,” the CEO added.
Dimon’s comments drew issues with worker efficiency. His move to require full in-person attendance follow President Trump’s executive order directing federal employees to physically return to offices for work immediately. He has also defended Trump’s tariff threats.
“You don’t have to work at JP Morgan. So, the people of you who don’t want to work at the company, that’s fine with me,” Dimon told the crowd. “I’m not mad at you. Don’t be mad at me.”
“It’s a free country. You can walk on your feet. But this company is going to set our own standards and do it our own way. And I’ve had it with this kind of stuff,” he added.
JPMorgan Chase did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
The company, which employs more than 300,000 workers, plans to lay off fewer than 1,000 people in February and plans to announce additional cuts in mid-March, May, June, August, and September, according to reports from Barrons.
