Preserving law firm cultures in the age of hybrid working

According to OneAdvanced’s Legal Sector Trends Report 2024, law firm employees now spend an average of 3.2 days a week in the office. The remainder of their time is dedicated to working remotely, whether that be from home, court or a client’s office.

Difficulty adapting to an evolving landscape

Although hybrid working has largely been embraced by employees, the changes have introduced a layer of complexity that can be difficult to manage; for example, 11% of those involved in the Sector Trends research said they were struggling to adjust to this model.

Many firms, too, are finding the shift difficult to navigate, having to juggle needs that may seem contradictory. For instance, while they may think it important to reinforce their organisation’s existing culture now that their workforce is spending less time together, they may also feel the need to adjust that culture to better support employee wellbeing. Likewise, they may want to retain the practices that have strengthened their position in the marketplace, but at the same time demonstrate the ability to adapt to the changing requirements of their staff.

Hybrid work can therefore be a help in some areas and an obstacle in others.

“It’s difficult at this stage to fully understand the long-term impacts of remote work and supervision on law firms, but it’s clear that, when people are operating at a distance for some or all of the week, it can be more challenging to maintain a firm’s values and culture – and to make improvements in those areas where needed,” explains Sharon Glynn, managing director at Travelers Europe.

“At the same time, if firms can find ways to stay connected with employees and are aware when people need guidance or other support, they have opportunities to reinforce the elements that make a firm what it is.”

Looking at culture in a new way

Before firms set out to reinforce their values and culture, it may be useful to determine what aspects are most important to preserve – and if these can be promoted in ways that accommodate employee flexibility. On the surface, bringing employees together more often sounds like a logical means of imparting values and culture, but if it comes with continuous monitoring of employees’ comings and goings, those efforts may backfire.

In his article on presenteeism for the Law Society Gazette, Matthew Kay wrote that law firms and in-house teams are at a critical juncture when it comes to hybrid work. “A hardline push for office attendance risks reinvigorating presenteeism, rather than the purpose of enhancing company culture, collaboration and development. To employees, a mandatory push for office working could appear as a manifestation of the corporate anxiety that employees cannot be trusted.”

This places law firms in the position of ensuring in-person work feels less like an exercise in micromanagement and more like a critical means of supporting an employee’s engagement and development.

“Law firms are currently looking for ways to ensure days in the office can provide opportunities to mentor junior lawyers and collaborate as teams, with days at home allowing more time and flexibility to complete work,” says Glynn.

“Firms that can find effective ways to navigate remote work and supervision – all while managing and monitoring the risks that can arise when employees are working either from home or onsite – are likely to become employers of choice at a time when employees clearly value flexibility.”