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The KattenFlex program planted a stake within the authorized panorama, bucking the development of “necessary workplace creep,” by adopting a coverage that elevated flexibility permitting observe teams and particular person professionals the liberty to determine a hybrid path that works for them. Because the agency declared on the time “it ‘doesn’t feel right’ to mandate that everyone must come into the office a set number of days.”
So… Katten simply knowledgeable attorneys that they should are available in twice every week.
At present, we announce an replace to KattenFlex: starting Might 1, the agency expects attorneys to work from a Katten workplace a minimal of two days per week. Moreover, the agency continues to count on that no matter the place you’re working, all professionals are usually accessible throughout common enterprise hours and as wanted to satisfy shopper calls for after hours.
It’s comprehensible to see this as a retreat from the agency’s earlier laissez-faire coverage as a result of it’s, in actual fact, a retreat. Each time a agency blasts out a brand new revision to convey individuals again to the workplace, it should rankle attorneys who thought they had been going to be handled as true professionals. However in an business marching towards four-day attendance policies and paranoid surveillance, let’s concentrate on what Katten continues to be getting proper.
Katten stresses that the expectation is just not a mandate or requirement, however an effort to set some consistency. This system modification is a mere two days, providing attorneys extra freedom from commuting than peer corporations. And the mandate doesn’t set particular days to come back in, persevering with to offer teams and their attorneys the flexibleness to decide on. In the end that’s extra vital than the variety of days required. Attorneys need to have the ability to say, “I can are available in, however, for me, I have to be dwelling on Wednesdays as a result of that’s the day I’ve to deal with faculty automotive pool” or no matter it’s.
The announcement even stresses “we’re holding the ‘flex’ in KattenFlex, a key element of Katten’s supportive office setting.”
That stated, the announcement could be too loosey-goosey.
Nevertheless, choose authorized departments or observe teams might select to require or designate particular days for in-office attendance or for a particular variety of days per week. Your authorized division or observe group will present extra steering.
That is the type of exception that dangers swallowing the rule. Katten’s memo means that management intends to work with observe teams to forestall teams from invalidating the spirit of the rule, however it nonetheless extends an terrible lot of latitude to companions itching to convey everybody again in.
Totally distant work was by no means going to take maintain throughout Biglaw. The stakes are too excessive, the significance of offering sensible coaching to younger associates too engrained, and the associate egos too brittle. However corporations that defend legal professional flexibility will earn themselves a constant benefit in recruitment and retention.
Katten’s new coverage walked again a few of core options whereas claiming to protect others. How a lot of a retreat this seems to be is now as much as the implementation.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Legislation and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Be at liberty to email any ideas, questions, or feedback. Comply with him on Twitter if you happen to’re serious about legislation, politics, and a wholesome dose of faculty sports activities information. Joe additionally serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
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