JPMorgan Chase’s return-to-office (RTO) mandate is off to a rocky start, with employees struggling to adjust to the sudden five-day-a-week in-office requirement, as per a report.
RTO mandate leads to workers struggling According to a Fortune report, workers are facing overcrowded desks, frustrating technical issues, and concerns about the spread of illness, all of which have caused rising tensions within the workplace.
Desk shortages cause frustration among employees One of the main issues employees are facing is the lack of available desks, as per the report. While JPMorgan Chase has implemented a desk reservation system, it’s been unreliable at certain locations, and for some sites, it’s a “first come, first serve” policy, reported Fortune, citing seven JPMorgan employees.
According to Fortune, many employees arrive at the office only to find all the desks taken, forcing them to search for a place to work or even make use of other sections in the office. One worker on the East Coast revealed that their team had to relocate after being unable to secure enough desks for everyone. The worker said, “There definitely aren’t enough desks for everyone so people have to hope others are taking PTO that day to get a seat,” as quoted by Fortune.
Some employees have even started arriving an hour earlier than required to guarantee a desk, and in some offices, workers are putting up “paper tents” or placing personal items on desks in an effort to reserve their space unofficially, according to the report.
Teamwork hits a roadblock Despite JPMorgan Chase’s CEO Jamie Dimon, being a vocal supporter of RTO, claiming it fosters innovation and teamwork, but the lack of desks makes it hard for some JPMorgan Chase groups to work together, as per the report. An employee said, “We saw our seats were already occupied by others. We were forced to have to sit apart from one another,” as quoted by Fortune.
Noise in the office becomes a growing concern But desks aren’t the only problem. Noise has become another major issue in many offices, with workers in open office spaces or cubicles having to contend with loud conversations, phone calls, and Zoom meetings at desks, as
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