lawyers are eager to return to a hybrid working routine, sharing their time between the office and home. Given that 96% of consultancies offer some form of agile working according to the MHA, it is no surprise that lawyers are leaving backwards traditional firms for consultancies that better understand the benefits of a happier and healthier workforce. Traditional Firms Are Hurting Themselves In this sense, many traditional firms are unwittingly committing self-sabotage by failing to address the preferences of their workers. After all, the shift to WFH that the pandemic imposed coincided with many firms reporting their best periods for billing ever. Coincidence? Not likely. A recent study by the University of Warwick found that workers who feel satisfied in their roles are, on average, 12% more productive than those who are not. With remote working during the pandemic having 38 LAWYER MONTHLY APRIL 2023 proved such a massive hit among legal professionals, offering hybrid working options seems like something of a no-brainer for traditional firms. Unfortunately, this notion is often distorted by the misguided view among seasoned senior partners who think that work carried out at home does not hold the same value as that which is completed in an office setting. Despite much evidence having dispelled the myth that remote working leads to diminished productivity, many persist in this antiquated belief. Whether they want to acknowledge it or not, times have changed – in my mind, for the better, given how much happier and productive workers have become since adopting a WFH routine. If traditional firms continue to keep their fingers in their ears, they just might find themselves facing extinction before long. Firms Must Act Now to Guarantee Their Future If they mean to go on existing, traditional law firms must now wake up and smell the coffee. Home working has proven to be a huge success, not only for legal professionals who are happier for their newfound flexibility, but also employers, who benefit from more productive workers. Essentially, it is a win-win, and the sooner senior partners ditch their outdated perceptions of Many traditional firms are unwittingly committing self-sabotage by failing to address the preferences of their workers.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz