Google’s former HR chief Laszlo Bock warns that JPMorgan’s new fully-in-person work policy is a sign of more companies to follow suit, as CEOs continue to prioritize traditional management over innovation. The move comes after five years since the pandemic first hit, with some companies slowly reneging on their previously flexible policies.
Bock notes that companies like Amazon and AT&T have recently turned back to in-person work, and JPMorgan’s decision is a natural domino effect given Jamie Dimon’s long-standing dislike of remote work. The finance world has been at the forefront of bringing workers back to the office, with Dimon consistently expressing distaste for federal employees working from home.
The number of days spent working remotely has dwindled by 2% each year since its peak in July 2022, and Bock expects most companies will eventually follow JPMorgan’s lead. However, he notes that hybrid work is more acceptable across the economy, especially in white-collar fields, with 25% of businesses embracing this model.
Bock attributes the growing trend towards return-to-office policies to three key factors: CEOs’ insecurity about employee productivity when not supervised, pressure on businesses for heightened performance, and the influence of election results. Despite research suggesting hybrid work is better for retention and well-being, Bock believes there’s a lack of universally overwhelming evidence to convince CEOs to adopt this model.
In conclusion, Bock argues that while hybrid work has its benefits, CEOs are not yet convinced by the data, leading to a creeping triumph of traditional management over innovation.
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/01/14/jpmorgan-former-google-hr-exec-hybrid-work-finance-tech-workers