Addleshaw Goddard has launched a home working policy across its three UK offices for staff and fee-earners.
The policy means the majority of lawyers and other fee-earners, as well as business services employees, based in Leeds, London and Manchester will be able to work regularly from home.
A handful of staff such as new joiners on probation and trainees will not be able to take advantage of the policy.
The move is understood to be related to Addleshaws’ imminent office relocations in Leeds and Manchester. The firm is moving to new buildings in Leeds at the end of the year and Manchester in February 2017 and will be adopting open-plan working as a result.
Addleshaws is rolling the policy out following an engagement survey which found staff were in favour of agile working and that the move would have no impact on client service.
Partner Michael Leftley, who is the member of the firm’s executive leadership team responsible for talent and HR, said: “We already see agile working bringing benefits to many individuals and to the way we operate as a business in general. We hope that having a formalised policy will only increase that. Our employees are integral to our success and introducing methods to retain and nurture talent, as well as creating a better work/life balance, is central to maintaining that.
“Today’s technology means that our people do not have to be in the office around the clock and people can often work more efficiently, and service clients more effectively, if we give them some flexibility”.
The firm is the latest in a string of top-100 and global players to adopt a flexible or agile working policy. Others include Clifford Chance, Dentons, Herbert Smith Freehills, Mayer Brown, Mishcon de Reya, Nabarro, Olswang, and White & Case.
For more on agile working, read our recent report: The co-working craze