The voluntary program has already been availed by 78% of the workers who are able to use the scheme.
In a bid for a more agile workplace, a London law firm has launched a new program for employees telling them they don’t need to come to the office more than two days a week.
According to a report from The Lawyer, Schillings COO and partner Christopher Mills confirmed the rollout of the new agile working program saying that the strategic move is to make the firm more attractive to non-lawyer talent.
“As a guidance, we’re suggesting people don’t need to be in the office more than two days a week,” Mills said.
Mills told the publication that by the end of 2017, “half or our staff won’t be lawyers.”
The law firm wants to attract top talent particularly cyber professionals and intelligence consultants, the report noted.
“In order to attract those people to work at a law firm we need to be a more modern facing business,” said Mills.
According to the COO, the voluntary program has proven to be a hit with 78% of those offered the program opting to use it.
As part of the program, employees are also assigned different seats on the days they do come to the office. Staff on the program use a “hot-desking” portal to book desks for days they come to the office.
“We want to create accidental meetings, so that every day you need to sit next to someone different both in terms of hierarchy and across the different disciplines,” Mills said.
“Ultimately it focuses people on results and performance rather than time and attendance. It’s up to individuals to get the work done to a high level of quality and to meet deadlines but in their own time.”
Nonetheless, some staff like paralegals, legal secretaries and client services staff will not be able to use the program as they are required to be on premises.
According to The Lawyer, the program formally launches in the second week of September though it is already live.
