JPMorgan Chase employees frustrated over desk shortages, noise amid RTO mandate: ‘Sick coworkers, crowded'
As JPMorgan Chase enforces its five-day-a-week office mandate, employees are struggling with limited desks, noisy workspaces.
The first week of JPMorgan Chase’s mandatory return-to-office (RTO) policy has been anything but smooth, with employees voicing frustration over workspace shortages, unreliable Wi-Fi, and disruptive office environments. Thousands of workers are now required to be in the office five days a week, a shift from the previous hybrid model, but many are finding the transition difficult, reported the Fortune.
According to the outlet, a significant issue employees are facing is the lack of available desks. The bank operates a desk reservation system, but in some locations, it either does not function properly or follows a “first come, first serve” policy. As a result, many workers arrive only to find all desks occupied, forcing them to search for an available spot.
“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 even had to relocate employees to different sections due to the shortage.
Scrambling for seats and reserving spaces unofficially
Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, has long championed in-office work, emphasizing its role in fostering collaboration and innovation. However, the lack of desks has made it difficult for some teams to work together.
“We saw our seats were already occupied by others. We were forced to have to sit apart from one another,” another employee shared.
To secure a workspace, some employees are arriving at the office up to an hour early, while others have resorted to unofficial tactics such as leaving personal items on desks or placing paper tents with their team’s name in an attempt to reserve an area. Despite these efforts, securing a desk remains a challenge.
RTO mandate fuels tensions
Dimon’s push for in-office work was meant to boost team morale, but in some cases, it appears to be having the opposite effect. The frustration over desk shortages has heightened tensions among employees.
“You could just tell folks that got there later were feeling a bit off-kilter,” said an employee from the South.
JPMorgan Chase’s return-to-office announcement in January triggered widespread discontent among employees. The mandate required all 317,233 staff members to return full-time, ending the hybrid model that many had followed since 2020. Some sites, including 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 to the mandate, a group of employees launched a petition urging the bank to retain the hybrid model. However, Dimon dismissed the movement outright, reportedly saying, “I don’t care how many people sign that f—ing petition.” JPMorgan Chase is also facing a unionization push from some workers.
Beyond the desk shortage, many employees cite excessive noise as a major challenge in the office. Some work in open-plan areas without walls, while others are in cubicles. The constant chatter, phone calls, and lack of meeting rooms have made it difficult to concentrate.
“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 have resorted to using noise-canceling headphones to cope with the distraction.
Wi-Fi connectivity has also been a recurring issue. Earlier this week, a group of East Coast employees were unable to connect for hours and were advised to work from home until the problem was fixed. “That was an entire day wasted,” one worker said.
Health concerns
Some employees have also raised concerns about sick coworkers coming into the office without wearing masks, potentially spreading illnesses.
One worker described sitting next to a colleague who was “coughing and sneezing all day long.”
For many, the new work environment has been far from ideal. “The office is loud, crowded, and overall not an enjoyable place to be,” a Midwest-based employee summed up.
As JPMorgan Chase moves forward with its strict return-to-office policy, employees continue to grapple with challenges that are making the transition anything but seamless.
