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22 May 2008 / Adam Coomber
Issue: 7322 / Categories: Features , Legal services , Procedure & practice , Profession
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On the move

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Increased mobility brings particular security challenges for the legal profession, says Adam Coomber

Mobile working continues to be a growing trend. Analyst firm Gartner Group has predicted that by 2011, 46.6m employees globally will spend at least one day a week working away from the office, and 112m will work from home at least one day a month. In the UK alone, 3.4m people, ie 12% of the working population, regularly or permanently work from home, according to the latest labour force survey from the Office for National Statistics.

For the legal profession, it's vital that a move towards a more mobile (client-facing and flexible) workforce does not end in competitive disadvantage, where legal professionals' billing ratios drop and the ability to service an optimum number of clients diminishes.

On the plus side, mobile working can increase work time, making legal professionals available 24 hours a day, seven days a week wherever they are. For some firms, enabling client-facing employees to work effectively, while on the move, ensures they are available to clients

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