Jamie Dimon Apologizes for Heated Town Hall but Maintains his Stance on RTO Policy

Jamie Dimon's outspoken leadership style and colorful language gained attention following a heated February town hall where he slammed remote work.The CEO is now apologizing for some of his controversial remarks.

In a CNBC interview from JPMorgan's global leveraged finance conference in Miami, Dimon admitted his mistakes after an audio recording leaked to Barron's caught the CEO using several expletives.

"I should never curse, ever," he told CNBC. "I shouldn't get angry and stuff like that."

The leaked recording captured Dimon expressing frustration with workplace attendance pushback, complaining that there was "not a god-d-person" he could reach on Fridays and that employees were disengaged during "f-ing Zoom" meetings. He also dismissed a petition signed by more than 1,700 employees opposing the in-office mandate.

Despite acknowledging the impropriety of his profanity-laced tirade to CNBC, Dimon maintained the bank's five-day in-office policy, which is set to take effect on March 3. 

Dimon added that, while he understands that some employees prefer remote work, the ultimate decision rests with the company, which must prioritize what is best for its business and clients. 

"I'm not being mean; they can get a job somewhere else. I completely understand that it could make perfect sense for them to do that," he said.

Several JPMorgan employees spoke out against Dimon's edict during and after the town hall meeting. Nicholas Welch, a tech operations analyst, claimed senior managers threatened his job after he suggested that RTO policies be left to the discretion of individual team managers, a proposal Dimon rejected. A JPMorgan Chase spokesman told Fortune that Welch was still in good standing with the bank.

Dimon also addressed speculation that Welch faced repercussions for his inquiry, telling CNBC, "I have never, ever fired anyone because they asked a question like that."

The CEO also addressed his recent criticism of the bank's DEI programs, admitting that he was never a "firm believer" in bias training. "I saw how we were spending money on some of this stupid s-t, and it really pissed me off," Dimon said in a recent audio recording obtained by Bloomberg, adding, "I'm just gonna cancel them. I don't like wasting money on bureaucracy."

Clarifying his remarks to CNBC, he stated that some DEI programs were ineffective, overburdened, or relied too heavily on outside consultants. He emphasized the need to consolidate certain programs while also reaffirming the bank's commitment to diversity initiatives.

"We will continue to reach out to the black, Hispanic, LGBT, veteran, and disabled communities. We're not changing that," he stated