More than three years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the way people work and are expected to work has undergone a fundamental shift, and Teresa Bult authored an article for the June 2023 issue of Legal Management Magazine highlighting the benefits and challenges for law firms embracing remote work.
An informal survey by Law.com found that most of the 350 attorneys polled about their firms’ hybrid work policies and how they felt about them indicated they would not work at law firms mandating more than three days of in-office attendance. Roughly half said three required days of attendance would negatively impact their decision to stay at a firm. These results indicate there is an advantage for firms that accept some level of remote work is likely here to stay.
Bult offered three reasons remote work is great for law firms, including (1) an expanded and more diverse talent pool in a competitive market, (2) better ability to meet work-life balance expectations and (3) continued reduction of overhead costs.
Of course, with all of the benefits of remote and hybrid work come challenges to overcome. Hiring remote attorneys across markets introduces new practical and regulatory considerations when negotiating salaries, meeting pay transparency standards and navigating different tax and legal frameworks. Firms must also take special care to manage human relationships, including internal and external relationships as well as measurement of employee performance and productivity.
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