Jamie Dimon Says Don't 'Tell JPMorgan What To Do' As He Tells Remote Workers, 'You Can't Learn Working From Your Basement,' Defending RTO Crackdown

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon's distaste for remote work is widely known by now. A long-time opponent, Dimon spoke about the company's return-to-office mandate on Thursday: "I think our employees will be happier over time. And the younger people will learn the right way, it’s an apprenticeship system. And you can’t learn working from your basement."

What Happened: In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Dimon said, "I think our employees will be happier over time," he added. "And the younger people learn the right way, it is an apprenticeship system and you can't learn working from your basement."

He noted that almost 10% of the bank's employees remain remote. In his remarks at JPMorgan's annual Global Markets Conference in Paris, Dimon added to his previous comments, saying, "I completely applaud your right to not want to go to the office every day. But you're not going to tell JPMorgan what to do."

See Also: JPMorgan Investor Day Looms, Here Are 5 Core Topics To Watch

Dimon was even more blunt in a leaked audio recording obtained by Business Insider, where he said, "A lot of you were on the fu**ing Zoom and you were doing the following: looking at your mail, sending texts to each other about what an asshole the other person is, not paying attention, not reading your stuff."

In the same audio, he also dismissed hybrid models, saying, "Don't give me this s**t that work-from-home-Fridays works. I call a lot of people on Fridays, and there's not a goddamn person you can get a hold of."

Why It Matters: Dimon's latest comments align with views he has previously expressed about remote work. Earlier this year, he highlighted that it was mainly white-collar workers who seem to reject remote work, while frontline workers continue to work on-site as their jobs demand. Referring to their work during the pandemic, he asked: “Where did you get your Amazon packages from? Your beef, your meat, your vodka? Where did you get the diapers from?”

At a town hall in Columbus, Ohio, Dimon rebuked employees who challenged the bank's five-day office mandate. He brushed off requests for flexible schedules, arguing that remote work suppresses creativity and delays decision-making.

In a March town hall meeting in Dallas, Texas, Dimon highlighted his belief that young workers in particular benefit most by working from the office instead of home.

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