JPMorgan chase set to mandate full-time office return for thousands of staff

JPMorgan Chase is reportedly preparing to mandate a full five-day work week for thousands of its employees, signaling a further tightening of the remote and hybrid work models introduced during the pandemic.

The US banking giant, which employs more than 300,000 people worldwide and around 22,000 in the UK, is expected to confirm the changes within weeks. JPMorgan has so far declined to comment.

Although executives had already been ordered to return five days a week last April, many other employees were working under the office’s three-day requirement. The new measure would roll back pandemic-era flexibility in favor of the bank’s pre-Covid attendance policies.

CEO Jamie Dimon has previously expressed reservations about remote work, arguing that in-person collaboration speeds decision-making, enhances creativity, and supports spontaneous learning for entry-level employees.

JP Morgan’s initiative comes as it prepares to open a new 60-story skyscraper in Manhattan, which is scheduled to be the bank’s newest global headquarters. Its policy shift is also reflected in developments at other major companies such as Amazon, which this month began asking its workforce to return five days a week, moving away from a three-day office schedule.

Meanwhile, WPP, the advertising group that employs more than 100,000 workers, warned employees that from April, they are expected to be in the office at least four days a week on average, including at least two Fridays a month.

The change follows a three-day requirement for employees at WPP’s headquarters, although its individual agencies were free to set their own rules. In a note to staff, CEO Mark Read said more WPP clients were moving in a similar direction, adding: “I think we do our best work when we’re together in person. It’s easier to learn from each other, and it’s a better way to mentor colleagues starting out in the industry.” “It also helps us win presentations as a truly integrated team.”