An audio clip of JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon slamming the work from home culture has surfaced on social media and drew massive criticism. In the audio, Dimon was heard dismissing the petition of employees for some flexibility in the work and clarified that his decision was final. 

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As per several reports, speaking at a recent town hall in Columbus, Ohio, on February 12, Dimon responded to an employee who questioned the bank's five-day return-to-office (RTO) mandate. 

"Don't waste time on it. I don't care how many people sign that f***ing petition," he was heard saying. The audio recording was reviewed by several news outlets, along with Reuters. 

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Reports also said that the company even fired the employee, Nicolas Welch, over his question on the RTO mandate. 

Also read: US co fires employee who refused to keep webcam on during WFH, fined by court

Welch was reportedly going through a divorce and family and childcare responsibilities and asked if he could get some leniency on the mandate. 

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Furthermore, Dimon highlighted the inefficiencies that occurred during the remote work and said, “There is no chance that I would leave that up to managers. Zero chance. The abuse that took place was extraordinary." He even criticised his employees for engaging and "wasting time" on Zoom meetings. 

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'You don't have to work at JP Morgan'

The petition was signed by over 1,200 employees in the organisation arguing that the mandate policy could impact the work-life balance of the employees, especially for caregivers, senior employees, women, and individuals with disabilities. 

And in response, Dimon said, "It's a free country. You don't have to work at JP Morgan".

The bank had allowed a hybrid work culture previously but has made it mandatory for all employees to return to the office from March. Dimon justified the decision, saying the remote work has impacted the creativity of employees and hurt juniors, leading to inefficiencies. 

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"The young generation is being left behind," he was heard saying. 

"They're missing out on mentorship, collaboration, and real-world learning," Dimon added. 

"Don't give me that work-from-home Friday works. I call a lot of people on Fridays, and there's not a goddamn person you can get a hold of," Dimon further added. 

(With inputs from agencies)