Jamie Dimon renews criticism of remote work for young employees

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon again criticized remote work, arguing that it weakens training, follow-up and accountability inside companies. His comments matter because JPMorgan, the largest U.S. bank, has already pushed employees toward a five-day office schedule despite staff resistance, Fortune reported.

Speaking earlier this year at the Hill and Valley Forum, a gathering of Washington and Silicon Valley leaders, Dimon said remote work can fit some roles, including call centers. For managers and younger workers, he said, being in the office works better because employees learn by watching colleagues handle customers, errors and pressure.

Dimon said early-career employees pick up skills by joining sales calls and seeing how more experienced workers respond when things go wrong. He also said remote arrangements do not help young workers build emotional intelligence in the same way.

The JPMorgan chief compared video meetings to the game show Hollywood Squares, according to Fortune, because participants appear in boxes on a screen. Dimon said remote meetings make it harder for managers to check on progress directly and can reduce curiosity and ownership.

He also said work-from-home arrangements can encourage “rope-a-dope type of politics,” using a phrase associated with Muhammad Ali’s boxing strategy. Dimon added that some employees on video calls are distracted by their phones, a problem he said he did not notice at first.

Dimon has made similar arguments before. In a Bloomberg interview last year, he said employees could not learn from “your basement,” according to Fortune. He has also complained that remote work made employees harder to reach, especially on Fridays, calling that approach inconsistent with running a strong company.

JPMorgan announced a five-day in-office policy last year, Fortune reported. More than 1,200 employees signed a petition asking the bank to keep a more flexible hybrid model. At a town hall in February, Dimon reportedly dismissed the petition and told employees not to spend time on it.

Other executives and workers are split

Dimon is not alone among major executives pressing for more office time. Fortune cited Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri as leaders who have supported five-day office schedules during the past two years.

Other business figures have taken the opposite view. Kevin O’Leary, chairman of O’Leary Ventures and a Shark Tank investor, has argued that remote work helps companies recruit strong candidates. In a video cited by Fortune, O’Leary said he would rather hire someone who can perform well from a basement or backyard.

Younger workers also appear divided from executives pushing office mandates. Fortune reported that nearly 40% of Gen Z and millennial employees said they would accept lower pay for more flexibility over where they work, compared with 32% across all generations.

Research cited by Fortune complicates the case against remote work. A 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis found a statistically significant positive correlation across 61 industries between the pandemic-era increase in remote work and productivity growth, along with other positive outcomes.

Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report found fully remote workers had the highest engagement rate, at 31%, compared with 23% for hybrid workers and on-site workers in jobs that could be done remotely.

Dimon said JPMorgan wants employees to be happy, but he framed the issue around clients. He said the bank’s priority is customer satisfaction and that employee preferences cannot come at customers’ expense, Fortune reported.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.