‘Loud and crowded’: JPMorgan employees scramble for desks, battle Wi-Fi as CEO Jamie Dimon enforces office return

JPMorgan Chase’s mandatory return-to-office (RTO) policy has created difficulties for employees, with many struggling to find desks, dealing with unreliable Wi-Fi, and adjusting to a crowded office environment. The new policy requires thousands of workers to be in the office five days a week, shifting away from the previous hybrid model, Fortune reported.

One of the biggest concerns employees face is the lack of available workspaces. The bank uses a desk reservation system, but in some locations, it either malfunctions or follows a “first come, first serve” approach. This has led to employees arriving at the office only to find all desks occupied.

“There definitely aren’t enough desks for everyone, so people have to hope others are taking PTO that day to get a seat,” said one East Coast-based employee. Some teams have had to relocate workers to different sections due to the shortage.

Scrambling for seats and reserving spaces unofficially

JPMorgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon has consistently emphasised the importance of in-office work for collaboration and innovation. However, the shortage of desks has made it difficult for teams to work together.

“We saw our seats were already occupied by others. We were forced to have to sit apart from one another,” said an employee.

To secure a workspace, some employees arrive up to an hour early, while others use unofficial methods such as leaving personal belongings or placing paper tents with their team’s name on desks. Despite these efforts, securing a desk remains a challenge.

RTO mandate fuels tensions

Dimon’s push for in-office work aimed to boost team morale, but some employees feel it has had the opposite effect. The desk shortages have added to workplace frustrations.“You could just tell folks that got there later were feeling a bit off-kilter,” said an employee from the South.

The return-to-office mandate, announced in January, requires all 317,233 employees to return full-time. Some locations, such as the Polaris regional headquarters in Ohio, which houses around 13,000 employees, were still listed as “not yet determined” for RTO as of this week.

In response, a group of employees launched a petition urging the bank to keep the hybrid model. However, Dimon dismissed it, reportedly saying, “I don’t care how many people sign that f—ing petition.” JPMorgan Chase is also facing unionization efforts from some workers.

Workplace noise and connectivity issues

Beyond desk shortages, excessive noise is another challenge. Employees working in open-plan areas and cubicles struggle to concentrate due to constant conversations and Zoom calls.

“People don’t know how loud they are on Zooms and, of course, if you have a dozen people Zooming then you’re going to hear all of that,” said a Midwest-based employee. Some workers use noise-canceling headphones to block out distractions.

Wi-Fi problems have also disrupted work. Earlier this week, a group of East Coast employees were unable to connect for hours and were advised to work from home until the issue was resolved. “That was an entire day wasted,” one worker said.

Health concerns in the office

Some employees have raised concerns about colleagues coming to work sick without wearing masks, potentially spreading illnesses.

One worker described sitting next to a colleague who was “coughing and sneezing all day long.”

For many employees, the new work environment has been difficult to adjust to. “The office is loud, crowded, and overall not an enjoyable place to be,” a Midwest-based employee said.

As JPMorgan Chase moves forward with its strict return-to-office policy, employees continue to face challenges that make the transition far from smooth.