JPMorgan Chase is making a full-time return to office compulsory for its employees. America’s largest bank is said to follow CEO Jamie Dimon’s lead and other Wall Street leaders like those at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, who believe in-person work fosters better learning, innovation, and company culture. With this, JPMorgan joins a growing list of major corporations implementing stricter return-to-office policies, including AT&T, Amazon, and Walmart.
A JPMorgan operating committee memo stated that over half of its 316,000 global employees already work full-time in the office and that “now is the right time to solidify our full-time in-office approach.” The executives wrote, “we think it is the best way to run the company. “
A JPMorgan spokesperson confirmed the memo’s content but declined to comment further. “We know that some of you prefer a hybrid schedule and respectfully understand that not everyone will agree with this decision,” Dimon and other leaders reportedly wrote in the memo. “Being together greatly enhances mentoring, learning, brainstorming, and getting things done.”
Some employees are unhappy with the ‘order.’
Despite this justification, some JPMorgan staff expressed their displeasure with the directive on the company’s intranet, citing concerns about increased commutes, childcare costs, mental health, and stress. The comment page was locked after more than 300 comments were posted within the first hour.
This move follows JPMorgan’s phased return to the office, which began with rotational schedules in mid-2021 and a full-time return for managing directors in 2023. The bank has stated that employees will receive at least 30 days’ notice before the expected full-time return and can request additional time from their managers if needed. JPMorgan also emphasized its commitment to workplace flexibility, offering notable exceptions for remote work and flexibility for personal reasons, available in a linked FAQ document.
