Case Study - Making Flexibility Work

A Sydney-based law firm, client of Managing Work|Life Balance International for over 10 years, asked for assistance with a review of their flexible work arrangements. The objectives were to assist Partners in better managing flexibility within their teams as well as ensuring lawyers were able to be productive and client-focussed whilst working flexibly. The project was undertaken in partnership with the firm’s own Human Resources team. It included:

• A review of all of flexible work policies and procedures
• Updating the decision-making criteria for assessing applications to work flexibly
• The establishment of a Flexible Work Steering Committee
• Consultation with Partners
• Focus groups and interviews with lawyers
• Assessment of qualitative and quantitative data to build recommendation
• Delivery of both long and short-term recommendations.

One outcome of the project was the introduction of a new role within the HR Team, that of a ‘Flexibility Coach’ who works with both Partners, Managers and Staff to ensure that requests for flexible work arrangements are managed according to their procedures, but, most importantly, meet the needs of staff and the business.