October 1, 2008
Jamie Dimon
chairman and CEO
J. P. Morgan Chase & Company
Dear Sir,
My name is Brown Man. Until recently I was an employee in the Investment Bank Technology group at
“Building a workplace where differences are respected and valued is critical to our future. We have an amazing opportunity in front of us to build the best financial services company in the world. Achieving this depends on having the best people doing their best work. For us, the business case is simple: JPMorgan Chase is a place for talented people from all backgrounds and nationalities. Gender, race, sexual orientation, age and physical ability are just some of the kinds of differences that make people unique — and give us the diversity of perspective that will set us apart. We’re committed to ensuring that diversity remains a key priority...our collective diversity is our strength.” – Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase
I had series of incidents involving racism in the past 2 years. My saga including interaction with HR is documented online at http://victimofprejudice.blogspot.com/
When I complained 2 months ago I started a journey towards getting fair treatment for the injustice meted out to me. I had written my first letter to the HR about the prejudice/racism that I had endured during my 2 year tenure at JPMC. When those characteristics exhibited by my manager became detrimental in judging my abilities it reached an inflection point and I could not endure it anymore. I reported this to HR in a letter seeking help. The solution I was seeking was simple – assign me a different work group with a different manager and let the current manager be disciplined appropriately per my complaint.
After 3 weeks after my complaint HR said they were ready with investigation results. When the results were shared with me verbally I sensed they were lacking objectivity and transparency. Final communication from HR was to carry on with status quo. I disagreed and wrote them a 2nd letter expressing my concerns. In between I was hinted to resign on my own. I had by then escalated this matter to top tier management, including you. Then an Employee Relations lady called me only to discuss but nothing changed. Concerns from my 2nd letter were not addressed at all. I wrote yet another letter to HR, the 3rd. Again there was no response. First they denied access to work emails, then they denied access to work facility. Then they presumed that I was absent when I was actually trying to get back to work after being out off office for 3 days with prior notification. During this time there was an attempt to label me as mentally unstable person. Then they sent 2 FedEx letters hinting discussion about future employment. Thus after indulging in several unethical methods they terminated me.
In summary, I have been stonewalled, arm-twisted, asked to shut up and move on. I disagreed. They indulged in several unethical ways before they terminated me. Considering everything it was fair to assign me to a different workgroup rather than terminating me, that too without paying severance. I was a good employee and did my very best for the firm during my tenure.
I request you to kindly read my online saga and do the needed. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Brown Man