A survey of solicitors’ experiences of work during the pandemic has found that an overwhelming majority of the profession would prefer a hybrid working model in future.

The research was an initiative of the Younger Members Committee of the Law Society, and carried out by Smith & Williamson.

The Law Society said that the survey provided timely insights into solicitors’ experiences of working during the pandemic, and their future work preferences.

The report – The Future Way We Work – found that just over 90% of solicitors would prefer a mixed system, with only 5% wanting to work at home full-time, and 4% preferring full-time office work.

More than one-third of the profession would prefer to work one or two days a week from home, while a quarter would like to choose their own arrangements.

Impact on training

The survey found that just over 60% of solicitors were blending remote and on-site work to serve their clients in July of this year. Almost 40% were working completely remotely.

Almost 70% of solicitors who responded said that they felt more productive when working at home, but the same percentage believed that feelings of isolation presented a challenge for those working remotely.

Respondents also expressed concern about the impact of remote working on training, mentoring and supervising colleagues – particularly in larger organisations.

Solicitors were also worried that working from home would mildly, or severely adversely, affect their career progression.

Future career decisions

Almost half of solicitors indicated that they worked more hours when working remotely, compared with on-site. Just over 40% said that they worked the same hours, and a little over 10% found that they worked fewer hours.

Almost two-thirds of solicitors told the survey that they would make future career decisions based on a firm's working policies.

Almost 80% of the solicitors surveyed said that they responded to emails or other communications outside of office hours, while 20% did not.

Recommendations

The report makes several recommendations to the Law Society – including measures such as training and wellbeing initiatives – to help employers and staff to move to more flexible arrangements. It also calls on employers to take steps to preserve their organisation's culture.

Maeve Delargy (Younger Members Committee) said that the pandemic had changed the way solicitors work – perhaps forever.

“Recognising that each firm and organisation has different needs, the Law Society encourages employers to review the recommendations outlined in the report, to identify the appropriate initiatives that may be beneficial for their employees,” she said.

Delargy pointed to the benefits of remote working reported by most solicitors – including greater flexibility in managing family and care arrangements, increased productivity, and reduced commuting costs.

Pragmatic

Referring to feelings of isolation, however, she warned that the wellbeing of staff should be a key priority for employers in future remote-working arrangements – particularly for recently qualified staff.

Urging employers to take a pragmatic approach, Delargy said that organisations should look to develop communication policies that would outline remote-working expectations, but also provide assurances on training, development and career progression that would help eliminate some key concerns.

Just over 1,200 solicitors responded to the survey, representing around 15% of the total number in Ireland.

It was addressed to all holders of practising certificates on the Roll of Solicitors, as the committee believed that the results would be skewed if the survey were confined to younger members.