Saul Ewing declares Wednesdays 'Zoom-free' as law firms plot office returns - Reuters.com
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(Reuters) - Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr is asking lawyers and staff to come into its offices on Wednesdays and marking the day as "Zoom-free" so that colleagues spend time together rather than in meetings on their screens.
Saul Ewing's approach also encourages time with colleagues or clients at least four additional days per month, according to a firm memo.
Many large law firms are gearing up for widespread office returns this spring, after past plans were thwarted by the emergence of new COVID-19 variants.
Though levels of remote work vary, several firms are asking attorneys and staff to be in the office at least three days a week.
Saul Ewing, a 375-lawyer firm, said it will formally launch its hybrid plan starting the first week of May.
Lawyers and staff can choose which of the four additional days per month, besides Wednesdays, to appear in person. They can also choose where they'll be, whether that's at one of the firm's 16 offices, visiting clients, at a conference or elsewhere.
Saul Ewing is one of a few law firms that have said they are selecting a particular day of the week to get their workforce together in the office.
Specifying a day offers predictability, said Jason St. John, Saul Ewing's recently elected managing partner and chief executive officer.
Making that day "Zoom-free" also allows for interactions like mentoring sessions, engagement with clients in the community and for local teams to work together, he said.
Saul Ewing said it consulted with Manar Morales, president and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, on the policy.
Other law firms have offered different hybrid work perks.
Lowenstein Sandler recently told lawyers and staff that they could work remotely for the entire month of August, as well as the week of Thanksgiving and the last two weeks of December this year. Midsize firm Kleinberg Kaplan Wolff & Cohen said in-office work will be optional in July and August of 2022.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has said its U.S. lawyers can work from anywhere indefinitely.
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source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/saul-ewing-declares-wednesdays-zoom-free-law-firms-plot-office-returns-2022-03-14/
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