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The financial institution has told staff members assigned to its recently built headquarters in New York that they must share their biological identifiers to enter the high-value building.

Move from Discretionary to Compulsory

The financial firm had previously intended for the collection of physical identifiers at its Manhattan tower to be discretionary.

However, workers of the US's largest bank who have started operations at the new headquarters since this summer have been sent emails stating that biometric entry was now "mandatory".

How Biometric Access Works

The new entry system demands employees to provide their hand geometry to enter entry points in the main floor rather than swiping their access passes.

Headquarters Details

The main office building, which reportedly cost $3 billion to build, will eventually function as a base for ten thousand workers once it is completely filled later this year.

Protection Reasoning

JP Morgan opted not to respond but it is believed that the implementation of physical identifiers for admission is designed to make the premises better protected.

Special Cases

There are exemptions for some employees who will retain the ability to use a traditional pass for entry, although the standards for who will use more standard badge entry remains undefined.

Supporting Mobile Applications

In addition to the introduction of physical identifier systems, the organization has also released the "Corporate Access" smartphone application, which acts as a electronic pass and center for worker amenities.

The platform enables users to handle guest registration, navigate interior guides of the facility and arrange in advance dining from the facility's 19 on-site dining vendors.

Broader Safety Concerns

The deployment of enhanced security measures comes as business organizations, especially those with substantial activities in New York, look to strengthen protection following the attack of the CEO of one of the US's largest health insurers in summer.

Brian Thompson, the head of the insurance giant, was fatally shot not far from the financial district.

Potential Wider Implementation

It is unclear if the banking institution plans to deploy the biometric system for personnel at its locations in other important economic centers, such as London.

Corporate Surveillance Context

The action comes during discussion over the implementation of systems to monitor employees by their companies, including monitoring workplace presence.

Earlier this year, all the bank's employees on mixed remote-office plans were instructed they are required to come back to the office full-time.

Leadership Viewpoint

The company's leader, the financial executive, has characterized the bank's new skyscraper as a "beautiful physical manifestation" of the institution.

The banker, one of the influential banking figures, recently cautioned that the likelihood of the American markets crashing was far greater than many investors anticipated.