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"Hooray, we don't have to commute for two days a week!"


Mayer Brown has announced that its staff can work from home for 40% of their time.

"Mayer Brown’s global working from home policy has been updated to enable people to work from home two days a week," a spokeswoman for the firm confirmed to RollOnFriday, in what should hopefully greeted with less controversy in Hong Kong than its wfh policy last year

The firm's remote-working policy matches the likes of Allen & Overy and Herbert Smith Freehills, which are also allowing staff to work from home for up to 40% of the time.

Other firms, such as Clifford ChanceLinklaters, Freshfields and Norton Rose Fulbright are permitting employees to work remotely for up to 50% of their time.

Meanwhile, DAC Beachcroft and Irwin Mitchell have gone further and given staff the power to decide where, when and how they work. And Mishcon de Reya will also allow its staff to choose, as managing partner James Libson told staff in an internal email, earlier this year: "Deal with your emails at 6am, 10am or 9pm, spend time with your kids when they get home from school, head out for a run at 11am, walk your dog at 3pm – do whatever works best for your life." With the caveat: "As long as the clients' needs are met and your colleagues are not adversely affected, you will be trusted to be responsible and to deliver what is expected of you." 

The forced absence from the office has permanently broken many people's tether to the office. And firms that don't adapt their policies to allow flexibility, may find some of their employees staying away from the office for good: a RollOnFriday survey revealed that over 50% of lawyers would swap firms if they couldn't work from home. 

However, some lawyers have found that homeworking can result in longer, more unpredictable hours, as they are expected to be on call more than ever before.

Let RollOnFriday know your firm's policy on remote working. 


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Comments

Anonymous 13 August 21 13:35

"However, some lawyers have found that homeworking can result in longer, more unpredictable hours, as they are expected to be on call more than ever before."

I'm afraid thats not going to just fall away by returning to the office.  Its not like lawyers were leaving the office early before C19 nor could they say no to work....  The new normal is longer hours, wherever you are (unless firms actually walk the walk rather than just talk the talk about improving work life balance, MHA etc).  They won't, but they will post on LinkedIn about it loads.

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