Most certainly not a way to guilt solicitors into taking less time off
A national law firm which has been allowing its lawyers to take unlimited holiday for the last nine months has seen productivity increase.
Ashton KCJ — which has seven offices in cities including Cambridge and Norwich — brought in the policy in March after being inspired by Netflix and Virgin, both of which allow employees to take as many days off as they like.
The move, which is believed to be a legal profession first, has been a hit — with the firm confirming that the nine-month trial of the policy will be made permanent.
According the Ashton KCJ chief executive Edward O’Rourke, staff productivity was up during this time relative to the previous year, although he didn’t specify by how much.
Basking in the glow of this success, O’Rourke reflected on how the enlightenment shown by his firm could benefit the profession more widely. He commented:
We firmly believe that law firms wishing to thrive in the future need to be innovative, both in the way they attract and retain legal talent and in the way in which they meet clients’ legal needs. Our focus needs to move towards overall productivity, client satisfaction and results rather than the number of holiday days taken.
The firm, which offers several training contracts annually, claimed that the policy has led some staff to take more time off and others “a little less”.
But will caveats be introduced down the line when the novelty wears off? For example, these days Virgin staff are only allowed to take unlimited holiday “when [they] feel 100% comfortable that they and their team are up to date on every project, and that their absence will not in any way damage the business”.
