b'Local Government Lawyer 9Table 8: How would you personally prefer to work once the crisis is over? (General survey) having access to decent printing or scanning facilities and not being able to move files back Work full-time at the office (or pro rata) 4% to the office, said another.Despite the problems experienced with 4 days per week at the office (or pro rata) 7% specific aspects of IT, the maintenance 3 days per week at the office (or pro rata) 17% of lawyers productivity recorded earlier demonstrates that it has more than proved 2 days per week at the office (or pro rata) 28% its worth and would benefit from further 1 days per week at the office (or pro rata) 19% investment by councils. If the pandemic had arrived tenor even fiveyears earlier, it 0.5 days per week (or one day per fortnight) 5% might have been a very different story.Only sporadically 7% Brave new worldWork remotely full-time 13% In common with many other occupational 0% 10% 20% 30% groups, local government lawyers have found remote working a better experience than they Table 9: For remote workers, how much time per week would you typically expect to be spent at the office inexpected and, by-and-large, they want to keep future? (Management survey) doing it, at least for part of the week.I manage a team of 33 lawyers, a head of legal told the survey. All but one has said 4 days per week 2% that they want to continue to work remotely (with some element of office working) 3 days per week 8% post-pandemic. Many who were previously sceptical about home working are now 2 days per week 47% converts.This is borne out by the survey results. The 1 day per week 17% vast majority of lawyers want to spend more 0.5 days per week (or one day per time at home in futurejust 4% want to go fortnight) 8% back to the office full-time. Neither, however, does the vast majority want to be away from Only sporadically 13% the office all of the time, with just 13% saying None 2% that they exclusively want to work remotely. The most popular pattern is two days in the 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% office, three at home (Table 8). There needs to be a balance, said one Table 10: Proportion of hours worked remotely. (Management survey) local government lawyer. Being able to see colleagues breaks the day up and is good for morale and learning as you pick things up from listening to others.What proportion of your staffs time was 78% of legal staff expect their employers worked remotely before the lockdown? 29% to provide more remote/flexible working in future. Only 3% expect a return to the status quo, with the rest unsure at present. There has been resistance to home working [in the past], said one respondent. I think this will After the lockdown, what proportion of yournow change as management will realise that staffs time would you expect to be worked68% people are working when they are at homeremotely? not taking advantage.Heads of legal broadly agree. When asked to anticipate what proportion of lawyers time would be worked remotely, the average figure came to 68%, compared with 29% before I manage a team of 33 lawyers. All but one has said that theythe lockdown (Table 10). As with lawyers in general, the mostly likely working pattern want to continue to work remotely (with some element of(for full-time workers) will be two days in the office, three at home. Only 2% of heads of office working) post-pandemic. Many who were previouslylegal expect staff to work exclusively at home (Table 9).sceptical about home working are now converts There does still need to be knowledge sharing and understanding by team members'