Law Firms
Backup Elder Care Is Latest Benefit Offered by Big Law Firms
Posted Jul 23, 2008, 06:23 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
More big law firms are beginning to offer backup elder care as a benefit, usually at no cost to the lawyers and employees who use it.
The Daily Journal lists 10 law firms that offer the benefit in California. They are Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker; Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Mayer Brown; White & Case; Dewey & LeBouef; McDermott, Will & Emery; Covington & Burling; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; O'Melveny & Myers; and Reed Smith.
Dependents enrolled in the program usually get up to 20 visits a year free of charge. One provider, Bright Horizons, charges law firms at an annual rate based on likely enrollment and usage.
Another backup care company, Work Options Group, conducted a survey that found the benefit reduces employee stress and absenteeism. It told ABAJournal.com that it contracts with 13 big law firms that weren't mentioned in the Daily Journal article to provide backup care for children and adults.
Patricia Caudle, manager of employee relations and work-life programs at Paul Hastings, told the Daily Journal that care offered can vary, from sitting with a person for a few hours, to administering medicine or performing household tasks.
When Caudle was out of town for a couple days, she used the benefit to provide some company for her 88-year-old mother. Caudle says her mother’s doubts disappeared after she met the caregiver.
"This person was able to gain my mom's confidence," Caudle told the publication. "My mom went from 'How absurd. I don't need a caregiver,' to 'Do you think she'll take me for a walk?' "
Story updated on July 24 to add information from the Work Options Group.
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Comments
Posted by BigFirm Assoc - 2 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 9 hours, 37 minutes ago
I wish my firm offered this benefit. I have no need for many of the other benefits my firm offers but elder care and 401k matching would be welcomed.
Posted by Bill - 2 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 8 hours, 42 minutes ago
No Health Insurance Is Latest Benefit Offered By Crap Law Firms!
By Not Debra Weiss
More garbage law firms are beginning to not offer health insurance as a benefit, usually at no cost to the lawyers who don’t get it.
An anonymous partner at a well-known insurance defense firm recently said as he was pulling his Ford Tempo into the parking lot of the grocery store across the street from his office, “These kids are desperate for jobs. Why should we give them anything? They should be paying us for giving them some experience. As it is, we’re offering $32,000 a year. It’s getting kind of ridiculous for us small firms.”
As recent studies have shown that more and more law school graduates are unable to find any jobs, the bottom law firms, especially those focusing on insurance defense, criminal defense, and personal injury, have found that they don’t need to offer any benefits and they will still recieve an abundance of resumes from desperate and pathetic job seekers. Another small-firm partner said, over lunch at the Pink Pussycat, that they pay their receptionist a higher salary than their attorneys. “Yeah, she’s a high school dropout,” stated Mr. Fig, “but at least she had the sense not to go to a third-tier law school.”
Posted by Inhouse Counsel - 2 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 8 hours, 27 minutes ago
This would have been a great benefit several years ago. My wife and I had to bring in an ailing relative into our home. It was so incredibly difficult for us to both balance careers, professional obligations, etc.
Kudos to the firms who have the insight to offer this. Having been through the process, and having learned my lesson, if I were to ever go back to firm life, this would be a plus in my book. Good home healthcare help is so very hard to find.