JPMorgan employees gripe about paying for ‘cutting-edge' fitness center at new HQ as they return to office full time
Amenities at the $3 billion skyscraper, opening this month, include a food hall with 19 cafes, displays of art from former bank chairman David Rockefeller's collection, and even an Irish pub.
But some spoiled staffers crank that a much-touted, 'cutting-edge Fitness Center' won't come free, but require a monthly membership fee, as an internal memo informed them this week.
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A rendering of JPMorgan Chase's new Park Avenue headquarters, which is due to open this month. =
DBOX / Foster + Partners
The memo didn't say how much it would cost, but 'more information will be available in the coming weeks.'
'It's truly a perk to be gifted the opportunity to spend money,' one complainant using the handle twbassist whined on Reddit.
'Honestly, I feel like going to the Equinox in the Grabyar Building, it's much better anyway,' wrote gethighinthesky.
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Maximus9195 snarked on the platform, 'Shareholder value!'
Another Reddit user said he wasn't defending the bank but, 'Could you imagine a gym that's free to 14,000-plus people? Sounds like an absolute nightmare.'
Some 1,300 employees signed a petition last winter grumping about the back-to-the-office mandate from Dimon, who said his order was ironclad no matter what they thought.
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JPM Morgan Chase CEO Jaime Dimon.
via REUTERS
'The abuse [of work-from-home] was extraordinary,' Dimon said — a sentiment since shared by numerous other corporate chiefs who've ordered their troops back.
JPMorgan Chase spokesman Michael Fusco flatly denied to Realty Check the claim by a Reddit poster, 'We were told [the fitness center] was free earlier [last] month.'
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Fusco said, 'We never shared details on how it would operate since everything is still being finalized.'
The 270 Park Ave. fitness center 'offers access to cardio, strength and recovery equipment, locker rooms, daily group exercise classes, a nutrition consultation and sessions with a Well-being Performance Coach,' according to the bank's memo.
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