Statement on Recent Loss of Wells Fargo Co-Worker Denise Prudhomme

We are saddened and outraged by the devastating tragedy and loss of our coworker, Denise Prudhomme, who worked as a Business Execution Consultant in Corporate Banking in Tempe, Arizona. This tragedy reminds us why it is so important for us to have a true voice and exercise our rights at work.

Like so many of us who work in corporate offices or call centers, our team members and direct supervisors are frequently located in other states hundreds, or thousands, of miles away. Denise was the only person on her team in Tempe. This may be one of the reasons why her desk was located in an underpopulated area in the building and nobody checked on her for four days. Wells Fargo monitors our every move and keystroke using remote, electronic technologies - purportedly to evaluate our productivity - and will fire us if we are caught not making enough keystrokes on our computers; however, Denise went unnoticed at her desk for four days. The contradictory nature of electronic surveillance versus an unnoticed death sheds light on the reality of what it means to be a worker at Wells Fargo.
 
Wells Fargo has been implementing mandatory “return to office” policies that requires workers to come into the office, even if all of their team members and direct supervisor live and work in another state. These arbitrary new policies are being imposed on many of us who have worked fully remote for years - long before the COVID pandemic began. Furthermore, Wells Fargo’s new “hub city” policy is forcing thousands of employees to choose between uprooting their families or losing their jobs at an unspecified date in the future when these jobs are relocated. This policy choice is a source of additional stress for those who are not located in "hub cities" and does nothing to benefit us as workers.
 
We demand better transparency and safety precautions for workers. Our employer's choice of not notifying employees of a coworker’s death for days is just the latest and most tragic example of Wells Fargo's lack of transparency.

We demand improved safety precautions that are not punitive or cause further stress for workers. The solution is not more monitoring, but ensuring that we are all connected to a supportive work environment instead of warehoused away in a back office.

We demand Wells Fargo reevaluate its arbitrary “hub city” relocation plan and “return to office” policy. These plans and policies have only further damaged worker morale.

Finally, we demand and deserve a seat at the table, ensuring that we have a true voice for workers in determining how we can be as effective and productive as possible in our roles so we can make Wells Fargo a truly great place to work.