An audio recording of Jamie Dimon slamming remote work is going viral, and work-from-home supporters and naysayers alike are sounding off.
On Elon Musk's social media platform X, some users applauded the JPMorgan Chase CEO's defense of the bank's 5-day RTO requirement, which was first posted online by financial news publication Barrons.
"I'm with Jamie," Quentin Kasseh, CEO of data and AI company Syntaxia, posted on X, adding that "no breakthrough like the Manhattan Project is built on Zoom calls."
Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman also cheered Dimon on. "He is entirely right," Ackman posted on X, adding: "We can all learn from him. A must listen."
The audio recording, which Business Insider obtained and confirmed, has amassed 1.7 million views and counting on TikTok alone. In it, Dimon uses multiple expletives and anecdotes, some drawing laughter, to explain to staffers in the room why remote work is a detriment to his company.
"A lot of you were on the fucking Zoom and you were doing the following," Dimon said in the recording, "looking at your mail, sending texts to each other about what an asshole the other person is, not paying attention, not reading your stuff."
He made clear he wouldn't be flexible with the bank's COVID-era hybrid-work policy that is scheduled to end in March.
"And don't give me this shit that work-from-home-Friday works," Dimon said. "I call a lot of people on Fridays, and there's not a goddamn person you can get a hold of."
As Business Insider reported in January, JPMorgan has called all its workers back to the office five days a week starting in March. The return-to-office mandate affects less than 30% of the bank's employees, mostly back-office workers, including tech staffers.
Some viewers of the video used it as an opportunity to defend remote work.
"WFH is SO much better," one TikTok user said. "I can type notes while in a meeting. I have more energy from not commuting, and I'm more productive overall."
"Newsflash, we do those things in the office as well," said another TikTok user.
Some people suggested that the real problem is an endless stream of pointless work meetings.
"The damn unnecessary meeting is the epitome of inefficiency," one TikTok user said. "Can't stand the 7 hours of meetings that turn an 8-hour day into 12 cause nothing getting done during those meetings."
Do you work for JPMorgan? Reach this reporter at ebrownstein@jkmperu.com or, for sensitive messages, on the encrypted app Signal at 305-857-5516.
