JPMorgan Chase, the largest U.S. bank by assets, announced its sixth return-to-office mandate since 2020, requiring all employees to work from the office five days per week starting January 7, 2025. This latest policy eliminates hybrid work arrangements that had allowed some staff to work partially remote.
The announcement marks a definitive shift from the bank's previous hybrid approach, which had required managing directors to be in-office full-time while allowing other employees to work remotely part of the week. CEO Jamie Dimon, a vocal advocate for in-person work, has consistently pushed for full office attendance despite multiple failed attempts to bring workers back since the pandemic began.
The bank's journey toward full office return has been marked by several starts and stops:
- September 2020: First attempt halted due to COVID outbreak
- May 2021: Limited 50% capacity return planned, then delayed
- July 2021: Rotational schedule proposed, later postponed
- February 2022: First successful implementation of hybrid return
- April 2023: Different requirements for directors vs. other staff
- January 2025: Universal five-day office requirement
Dimon has been particularly direct about his stance on remote work, famously stating "We want people back to work. And everyone is going to be happy with it, and yes, the commute, you know people don't like commuting, but so what."
Despite the push for full office return, JPMorgan Chase has paradoxically reduced its office footprint, cutting 400,000 square feet in the previous year alone. This latest mandate represents the bank's most stringent return-to-office policy since the pandemic began, effectively ending the era of flexible work arrangements at the institution.