‘The future of work is changing and so must we,’ says firm’s managing partner
Lawyers at DAC Beachcroft (DACB) will soon be able to choose where and what hours they work, the firm has announced.
From 21 June, DACB is letting all lawyers and staff work from the office, from home or a mix of the two, and will allow them to select the times they work across the day and week, as part of a new agile working policy dubbed ‘Flex Forward’.
“We have worked in an agile way for a long time, but our experiences over the last year have demonstrated that we can do more,” said DACB managing partner David Pollitt. “The future of work is changing and so must we.”
Pollitt continued:
“This step change we are introducing is not just about where people are working, but when and how. We trust our colleagues to find their own balance and we want them to have the flexibility to design a life that works for them. If someone wants to start work early, carve out an hour to go to the gym and another hour to do the school pick-up, all while working from home, Flex Forward supports that.”
The firm will also introduce new guidance and policies to facilitate the new initiative, including on how and where meetings take place, “mindful travel”, IT and other equipment for use outside the office, and health and safety guidance for those working from home.
DACB, which has 11 offices in the UK and Ireland, including its headquarters located in the Square Mile’s Walbrook Building, is also looking at how its offices will need to change to support new working patterns.
DACB is the latest law firm to rethink its flexible working arrangements for the post-pandemic world. A number of firms, including members of the magic circle, are letting their lawyers and staff work from home for up to half of the time. This could mean, in practice, that they spend around two to three days in the office and the rest working remotely. In other instances we’ve seen national law firms decide to shutter some of their offices and move all lawyers and staff working there to permanent remote-working.
