Law firm says employees can work from home full-time – but only if they take a 20% pay cut

shomos uddin, Moment

A U.K. law firm has decided to offer its employees the option of working from home full-time if they take a 20% pay cut.

The hybrid model offered by the law firm allows employees to work from home up to two days a week for the same salary.

This was consistent with the approach taken by many City law firms, according to a spokesman for Stephenson Harwood.

They said that they see value in being in the office together regularly and being able to offer flexibility.

The hybrid and full-time remote work options came into effect this month.

During the current coronaviruses epidemic, Stephenson Harwood looked to hire people for a small number of roles outside of London.

The firm was able to attract candidates that otherwise wouldn't have been available to them. They pointed out that the job packages, including the salaries, were different from those offered to employees who work from its London office.

This option of fully remote work will be open to its existing employees.

Employees who join the firm on its training contract in London are paid 43,000 for their first year and 47,000 in the second year. A newly qualified solicitor at the firm can earn a salary of 75,000.

There is still a debate on the merits of each working model, but the consensus seems to be that a hybrid working week is the right balance for many.

In June last year, the Office for National Statistics in the U.K. released data showing that 85% of adults working from home wanted to use a hybrid approach in the future.

The U.K. has been grappling with a cost of living crisis due to surging inflation.

Train fares went up by 3.8% in March, which is the biggest jump in nine years. The increase in rail fares was due to an inflation measure from last year.

The price of food and non-alcoholic drinks went up 5.9% in March, the biggest jump since 2011.

As soaring energy bills put more pressure on finances, saving on the costs of both commute and eating out while working in the office could become an even bigger consideration for workers.

Job openings and number of people quitting hit record highs.