Lawyers fear flexible working is "career suicide"
Lawyers at commercial firms are overwhelmingly in favour of more flexible working in the profession, but fear it would jeopardise their career.
Research by law firm Fletcher Day among nearly 100 solicitors at commercial or mixed firms found 88% in favour of more flexible working arrangements, while two-thirds thought their non-lawyer contacts had more flexible arrangements than they did.
More than three-quarters said taking up flexible working arrangements would affect their future career progression.
Jude Fletcher, senior partner of Fletcher Day, says: “Flexible working is a request that, in too many cases, is made with hesitation and agreed to with reluctance.
“As one lawyer puts it, too often a flexible working request is seen as ‘career suicide’.”
