Law Practice Management
Lawyers at UK Firm Reduce Work Hours to Save Jobs
Posted Feb 10, 2009 11:14 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Several lawyers and legal staffers at Mills & Reeve have agreed to work fewer hours or take sabbaticals to avoid layoffs at the British law firm.
About 25 jobs were saved as a result of the agreements, the Lawyer reports. The story tells of a group of six staffers who volunteered to work four-day weeks in the firm’s corporate and private client group. It also describes individual agreements to reduce hours by 14 lawyers and 20 support staffers.
In addition, three lawyers and two support staffers agreed to take sabbaticals ranging from six to 12 months, the story says.
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Comments
tim
Feb 10, 2009 1:56 PM CST
Does that mean I can go home at 9pm instead of midnight?
Wonder if I will get to put away the cot under the desk.
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B. McLeod
Feb 10, 2009 6:48 PM CST
Although the article does not spell it out, I think the economics of this are that the attorneys working fewer hours are being compensated less. Big Law in the US will just shortcut this, and knock down the compensation needed to “save jobs” (i.e., save partner profits), without reducing hours. Actual reduction in hours is not a necessary component of the strategy, and if “associates” got 3 days off each week, they might lose their “edge” (i.e., their sleep-deprivation-induced psychosis).
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bryan314
Feb 13, 2009 11:57 AM CST
What next? 40 hour work weeks?
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gea
Feb 15, 2009 6:40 PM CST
This was an inspiring article, because it shows how people who know and care about each other, will choose to work less and get less compensation, in order to allow others to keep their jobs. This article displays the loyalty that both customers and employees have to each other in other countries. Loyalty and tradition does have some upsides over ease of entry into the market (and ease of entry out of the market).
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