A TikToker went viral after calling out JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon who criticized working from home.
“We say we want diversity. When you come [to work] it’s a rainbow piece,” Dimon said on the call, per Insider. “But if you live in certain parts of our country and you go and eat there, everything is white. You lose opportunities to meet other people.
Previously, Dimon criticized working from home, calling it “management by Hollywood Squares” and saying it “slows down honesty and decision-making,” according to Insider.
There are some issues with this recent claim, as TikToker Becca (@nitetoast) pointed out in a video with over 28,000 views.
The first one? While Dimon might be promoting a “rainbow room,” JPMorgan Chase is painfully pale when it comes to leadership roles. As Becca notes, the company’s own 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance Report indicates that 77% of senior-level employees, 84% of its operations committee and 90% of its board of directors are white.
For context, the 2020 US Census said only 61.6% of Americans identify as white.
@nitetoast These CEOs make it easy #busines #jobs #corporate #jpmorgan #nitetoast #startup #careers #greenscreen ♬ Frolic (TV show theme “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) – Luciano Michelini
Also, as Becca mentions, Dimon’s claim seems to suggest that remote work has been bad for diversity.
Although remote work already has other proven benefits (remote workers report higher productivity than those in the office), there are signs that remote work may actually improve diversity, not the hinder.
Facebook recently made headlines after claiming that pivoting to remote working has helped it with its diversity efforts.
“In the United States, remote job openings were more likely to be filled by people of color, people with disabilities and veterans, according to the company’s annual diversity report,” writes Washington Post personal writer Naomi Nix. “Globally, applicants who accepted remote job offers were also more likely to be women, the company found.”
Writing for HR.com, author Jennifer Farris noted that remote work has other benefits for marginalized groups, including making it easier for people with children to balance their lives with work and expanding work opportunities for people with disabilities.
TikTok commenters generally agreed with Becca’s video, saying the real desire to bring people back to the office was most likely tied to real estate rather than a promise of diversity.
“Major banks have invested heavily in the commercial real estate rebound,” wrote one user. “Prob just a coincidence.”
“You know they say this garbage to protect their investment in the commercial real estate rental business,” said a second.
Others shared their love of remote work.
As one user put it, “My staff love the remote and we have no plans to go back.”
The Daily Dot contacted Becca by email and JPMorgan Chase by email.
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*First published: August 20, 2022, 11:02 a.m. CDT
Braden Bjella
Braden Bjella is a cultural writer. His work can be found in Mixmag, Electronic Beats, Schön! magazines, and more.
