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WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
DAY IN, DAY OUT - As we’ve noted in this space a number of times recently, Big Law is getting antsy to bring people back to the office, at least for a portion of the week. But how big that portion should be or whether attorneys and staff should even be required to schlep to the office a set number of days each week remains a topic of debate among large law firms. As Law.com’s Andrew Maloney reports, multiple firms have announced plans in which there is no target number of days for employees to spend working remotely post-pandemic, or have only offered vague suggestions for flexibility. Others have suggested goals, usually around two or three times per week. Meanwhile, some firms have crafted more specific guidelines, often ones in which the expectations for in-person work gradually increase. But one thing’s clear: most firms are aiming to provide some level of flexibility because the market for talent is increasingly demanding it. “You have to protect your assets, right?” said George Wolf Jr., a law firm consultant for Aon, told Andrew Maloney. “You’ve spent a lot of time, money and effort developing a great staff of lawyers. Are you really going to let something like working from home dictate whether or not you are going to be a desirable firm to work at?”
