London firm lets lawyers work-from-home in return for 20 per cent pay cut
London law firm Stephenson Harwood has given its staff the option to work from home as often as they like, in return for a 20 per cent pay cut.
The law firm’s new remote working policy says employees must come in at least three days a week, unless they are willing to see their salaries cut by a fifth – in which case they will be able to work from home permanantly.
The City firm’s new policy, which is set to come into force next month, will require homeworkers come into the office for just one day each month, according to Legal Cheek.
However, Stephenson Harwood has said it is willing to cover any travel or hotel costs, for those travelling into London.
As of yet, only a handful of the law firm’s employees have opted for the remote working option, according to Legal Cheek, which reported that none of those who have chosen the pay cut are junior lawyers.
The policy comes after Stephenson Harwood began hiring remote working lawyers from outside of London, in the midst of the pandemic.
In an email to City PM a Stephenson Harwood spokesperson said: “For resourcing reasons during the pandemic, we recruited lawyers who weren’t based in London, but lived elsewhere in the UK.”
“The packages we offered were different from what we offer our people in London. They’re fully remote and are not expected to regularly attend the office. If they are needed in the office, we cover their travel and accommodation expenses.”
The work-from-home deal extends the remote working package to all of Stephenson Harwood’s staff, meaning the firm’s workers are now free to take advantage of the deal.