Varied start and finish times too
Global law firm Baker McKenzie has laid out its post-pandemic working plans for UK lawyers and staff.
Bakers is adopting a ‘2-2-1′ approach that will see employees work from the office for two days a week, two from home, and one from either location. This pattern could change in accordance to clients’ needs, according to the firm.
The fresh approach, dubbed BAgile, will also enable lawyers to vary their start and finish times.
Katherine Hallam, Baker McKenzie’s head of talent management, commented: “We’re feeling very confident that this policy strikes the right balance between accommodating personal and client needs. Overall, we are taking an open minded approach to agile and remote working, which is focused more on output and less on physical location.”
The firm says the new policy will not take effect until its London HQ fully reopens, which is expected to be September at the earliest.
A raft of law firms have gone public with new flexible working polices in recent months. Magic circle trio Clifford Chance, Freshfields and Linklaters have all given the thumbs up for lawyers and staff to work away from their desks for up to 50% of the time, while Slaughter and May will permit lawyers to work remotely for 40% of the time, with a 20% option for rookies.
Other outfits to take a similar approach include Dechert, Eversheds Sutherland, Gowling WLG, Irwin Mitchell and Simmons & Simmons.
But some firms have taken a slightly more hard-line approach on office returns. For example, US outfit Paul Hastings told lawyers and staff, including those in London, that “by default”, they should work from the office. This takes effect from 7 September.
