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The banking leader has told staff members moving into its new corporate base in New York that they are required to share their physical characteristics to enter the multi-billion skyscraper.

Move from Discretionary to Compulsory

The financial firm had originally planned for the enrollment of employee biometrics at its recently opened high-rise to be voluntary.

Yet, employees of the biggest American bank who have started operations at the corporate hub since last month have received electronic messages stating that biometric access was now "mandatory".

Understanding the Biometric System

The new entry system necessitates staff to scan their fingerprints to pass through security gates in the lobby in place of using their access passes.

Building Specifications and Capacity

The corporate tower, which allegedly was built for $3bn to develop, will eventually serve as a base for thousands of workers once it is entirely staffed in the coming months.

Safety Justification

The banking institution declined to comment but it is assumed that the implementation of physical identifiers for access is designed to make the facility safer.

Special Cases

There are exceptions for certain staff members who will retain the ability to use a traditional pass for admission, although the criteria for who will utilize more traditional ID access remains unclear.

Supporting Mobile Applications

Complementing the deployment of palm and eye scanners, the company has also released the "Corporate Access" smartphone application, which serves as a digital badge and hub for employee services.

The application allows employees to coordinate external entry, navigate indoor maps of the building and schedule dining from the building's 19 restaurant options.

Broader Safety Concerns

The deployment of stricter access protocols comes as American companies, particularly those with significant operations in New York, look to strengthen protection following the incident of the chief executive of one of the US's largest health insurers in summer.

The executive, the boss of UnitedHealthcare, was the victim of the attack not far from the financial district.

Potential Wider Implementation

It is uncertain if the banking institution intends to implement physical identifier entry for employees at its offices in other major financial centres, such as London.

Employee Tracking Developments

The action comes amid discussion over the use of technology to monitor employees by their companies, including observing office attendance levels.

In recent months, all JP Morgan workers on flexible arrangements were instructed they have to report to the physical location full-time.

Management Commentary

The company's leader, Jamie Dimon, has referred to JP Morgan's recently opened skyscraper as a "tangible expression" of the institution.

Dimon, one of the world's most powerful bankers, recently alerted that the chance of the American markets crashing was significantly higher than many market participants believed.