Law firm Clarkson Wright & Jakes has baby boom
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No fewer than six solicitors at Orpington-based law firm
Clarkson Wright & Jakes (CWJ) are on maternity leave - 15% of
the firm's lawyers.
To cope with the baby boom, the firm has been recruiting
furiously over the past few months, ensuring that it continues to
provide high levels of service to its clients.
The side effect is that the firm's workforce will ultimately
increase in size, which is a good discipline in keeping the firm
focused on growth.
The timing of CWJ's baby boom is fitting, given that the
Coalition Government's formal response to its Consultation on
Modern Workplaces is expected.
It is designed to make radical changes to family-related and
flexible working rights in 2015, exploring ways to encourage better
work-life balance and cut red-tape for businesses. The proposals
include:
- Introducing a "flexible parental leave" system where the
mother takes the first 18 weeks as maternity leave, and the
remaining 34-week period can be shared between both parents;
- An entitlement for fathers to unpaid time off to attend
antenatal appointments and a total of 6 weeks' paid paternity
leave;
- Extending the current right to request flexible working to all
employees (ie. not just those with children) provided they have 26
weeks' continuous employment;
- Replacing the current statutory procedure for flexible working
requests with a less onerous Code of Practice and giving employers
a discretion to prioritise requests between employees;
- Allowing workers to carry-over up to four weeks' annual leave
to the next holiday year when they have not been able to take it in
the present leave year due to sickness or family-leave
absence.
- Allowing employers to insist on carry-over of up to four weeks'
annual leave provided they have a sound business reason for doing
so.
Claire Schneck, Head of the Family Department (currently on
maternity leave), said: "At CWJ, we recognise the importance of
work-life balance for all of our employees; we believe that it not
only makes better business sense, but leads to a happier, more
diverse, more productive and motivated workforce."
All six mothers are expected back in 2012, although not all will
be coming back full time. This fits in with CWJ's tradition of
flexibility.
There are currently around 30 different working arrangements at
the firm, with more to follow next year no doubt so that the
mothers can happily juggle their careers and families.
Monday, January 09 2012
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