Remote and hybrid working are concepts with which we are now well-versed. Post-pandemic many of us are returning to the office for at least part of our working week. One question often debated is ‘Who benefits the most from remote working?’. As if on cue the BBC have recently produced a podcast with that exact title (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct316r).
My key takeaways from the podcast are:
Study led by Mckinsey Global Institute showed that up to 25% of people in the developed world can work from home.
- Flexibility is often cited by employees as a key benefit of hybrid working.
- Increase in creation of fully virtual businesses leaving physical premises behind and employing people across the globe.
- Increase in creation of fully virtual businesses leaving physical premises behind and employing people across the globe.
I think hybrid working in the legal profession is here to stay. This could be seen as a continuation of the move away from presentism – no doubt healthy. The pandemic forced us to work from home and demonstrated that this is a real possibility. Transaction deadlines were met and the world continued to spin. In fact many law firms actually enjoyed a bumper year (here). Now that we are moving back into the office employers are looking at their office space and asking themselves whether (i) it is needed; and (ii) improvements can be made to help their employees service client needs. Employees are also reflecting on the past two years and coming to the conclusion that they are not ready to lose the flexibility hybrid working brings. Implementing a hybrid-working policy can be difficult. Those employers who actively engage with their employees when developing their policy often have the most success.
