JPMorgan turns to digital tracking to monitor junior bankers’ long work hours

JPMorgan Chase has begun using digital tracking tools to monitor the working hours of its junior investment bankers, as it steps up efforts to address long-standing concerns around extreme workloads on Wall Street.

The move, first reported by the Financial Times, will see the bank compare employees’ self-reported hours with data captured from internal systems, including video calls, keystrokes, and scheduled meetings. The initiative is being introduced as part of a pilot programme focused on improving transparency and employee wellbeing.

TRACKING WORK HOURS THROUGH DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

Under the programme, junior bankers will receive weekly reports showing how their logged hours align with their digital activity. The data is drawn from IT systems that capture daily work patterns, offering what the bank describes as a more objective view of workload.

JPMorgan said the tool is designed to support awareness rather than enforcement. “Much like the weekly screen time summaries on a smartphone, this tool is about awareness—not enforcement,” the bank said in a statement to the Financial Times, adding that it aims to encourage conversations around workload and wellbeing.

The initiative marks a notable shift in how firms are using workplace surveillance tools—not for performance evaluation, but to address overwork.

INDUSTRY GRAPPLES WITH BURNOUT CULTURE

The pilot comes amid broader scrutiny of the demanding work culture in investment banking, where junior employees have historically worked upwards of 100 hours a week. According to earlier reporting by the Wall Street Journal, some junior bankers were even encouraged to underreport their working hours to comply with internal limits.

The issue gained renewed attention following the death of a Bank of America junior banker in 2024, which raised concerns about the health risks associated with sustained overwork, even though no direct causal link was formally established.

In response, several firms have begun introducing safeguards. JPMorgan itself had earlier capped working hours for junior bankers at 80 hours a week, alongside measures such as protected weekend breaks, with certain deal-related exceptions.

SHIFT TOWARD STRUCTURED WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT

JPMorgan’s latest move reflects a wider shift in the banking sector, where firms are increasingly formalising how workload is tracked and managed. Bank of America, for instance, introduced a system requiring junior bankers to log hours daily and provide detailed updates on their workload, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The use of digital tracking tools signals a deeper structural change—where monitoring is being positioned as a mechanism for workforce protection rather than control.

The development also aligns with JPMorgan’s broader workforce transformation strategy. As previously reported by People Matters, the bank has been exploring workforce redeployment and the use of AI to reshape roles and improve operational efficiency, indicating a growing reliance on data-driven decision-making in managing talent.

WHAT COMES NEXT

While JPMorgan maintains that the tool will not be used for performance evaluation, its rollout raises questions about how organisations balance employee wellbeing with increasing levels of workplace monitoring.

As competition intensifies and expectations around productivity remain high, the banking industry appears to be experimenting with new ways to manage both output and employee health. Whether digital tracking can meaningfully reduce burnout without deepening concerns around surveillance will likely shape how such tools evolve in the months ahead.