b'20 Local Government Lawyermajor difference in relation to this whenTable 7: Would you consider taking (or have you taken) a remote working role with an compared to being in the office. employer outside comfortable commuting distance?Another issue flagged by management was a deterioration in their ability to train staffin particular junior onesand concerns that lessNo 26%experienced staff may lose out on learning from those in more senior positions.One respondent says: Training of juniorYes, would members of staff can be challenging asconsider 53%there is an expectation that they do not need to attend the office, and [a] lack of understanding of needing to absorb generalYes, have21%office chat as part of learning. done soDiscussing what actions they currently take to monitor output and maintain team cohesion, heads of legal cited online meetings and informal catch-ups as essential forTable 8: To what extent would the greater availability of remote working affect your decision keeping up to date and connected with theirabout whether to join or remain with an employer?colleagues, while some teams had set office days within the week.Im a team leader and I like to have twoIt would be a major factor in my decision 75%anchor days with my team per week, says one. This is because I have several junior lawyers who benefit from face-to-face contactIt would be a minor factor in my decision 13%with me and each other.Employees also seemed to value aIt would not affect my decision 8%balanced approach from senior management, with one lawyer noting: There needs toI prefer to work in a office & being required be a balance, fully remote working is notto remote work would be less attractive 4%the answer as we need to develop junior colleagues and bond as a team, but remote working has its benefits- I have the right balance where I am. We are in the South West of England andsignificantly reduce my productivity and I have people in: Yorkshire, Essex, Wales,adversely effect my work / life balance.RecruitmentSwitzerland! All over!!! Another stated: I would never take a job Now that flexible working is part of thethat wasnt remote at least 4 days per week.furniture for most local authorities, whatLuxury of choice Heads of legal are all too aware of this new effect has this had on recruitment andFor lawyers, it is clear that very few will acceptmindset. Where Ive been lucky enough to retention within their legal departments? anything less than hybrid working, and theyreeven have a candidate for an in-house role, Heads of legal report a mixed bag regardingnot afraid to shop around for roles furtherthey consistently ask if 100% remote working the impact of flexible working on recruitment.afield if necessary. or at least hybrid working is possible, one One of the main advantages, they say, isAccording to the general survey, 53%observed.having a wider pool of candidates to chooseof lawyers would consider taking a remoteUltimately, most lawyers enjoy a balance. fromas people from further afield may beworking role outside of comfortableA few days of face-to-face, human interaction open to applying for roles where they arecommuting distance, with 21% saying theyto share learning, retain a sense of belonging only required to be in a few days per month,have already done so (See table 7). and outline any issues, with the rest at home or if there is an option to be fully remote.Further, 75% of fee earners note the- avoiding a draining commute and loud However, a wider search area can have itsavailability of remote working would be aoffice distractions. And, if local authorities downsides, with one head of legal observing:major factor in their decision whether toare unable to offer this balance, they will We now compete for staff on a national leveljoin or remain with an employer, with 13%struggle to compete in a buyers job market, as opposed to regionally. saying it would be a minor factor, and onlywhere good candidates can enjoy the luxury For councils in regions where pay is lower8% saying it would not affect their decisionof choice.than the national average, this can put them(See table 8). at a disadvantage. One local authority lawyer who consideredLottie Winson is a reporter at Local Despite this, 70% of managers still saythe option of hybrid working essential whenGovernment Lawyer.the increased availability of remote or hybridtaking on a new role said: I am happy to be working has improved their ability to recruitin the office once or twice a week but not and retain staff (See table 6).more than that because of the time lost to One head of legal, clearly proud of histravel and noise / disruption when there. If geographically diverse workforce, says:we were required to return full time, it would'