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Action Step – Future of Work: Post-Pandemic Flexible Work Policies

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center. 

The pandemic has forever broadened the scope of flexible work. Many employees have learned to effectively work flexibly and/or remotely during the COVID-19 crisis and have experienced the benefits of flexible work. Organizational leaders are now considering how/what types of flexible work to offer after the pandemic. The Alliance has a number of recommendations for flexible work policies post-pandemic, so these initiatives can reap the greatest benefits in terms of work productivity, and recruitment/retention of top talent:

  1. Holistic Flexible Work – We strongly recommend implementing holistic flexible work policies, including reduced hours, telecommuting, flextime, compressed work week, asynchronous hours and job sharing options, as employees have individual flex needs. Additionally, by providing holistic flexible work options, employees who may not be able to utilize certain forms of flex due to their job function can still use other types of flex (i.e. a receptionist may not be able to telecommute due to his/her function but may be able to work reduced hours, flextime or compressed work week).

Members: continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center

To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. To learn more contact Manar Morales.

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Spotlight on Flex – Chelsea Witte-Garcia, PhD

Our Spotlight on Flex showcases professionals from member organizations who exemplify personal and professional success while working a flexible schedule. Their stories illustrate the long-term benefits that flexible schedules offer to both individuals and organizations.

February 2021 Spotlight on Flex

For our February Spotlight on Flex, we’re pleased to highlight Chelsea Witte-Garcia, PhD, Associate, Wolf Greenfield. 

Diversity & Flexibility Alliance: How have you made flexibility a priority and a success with your schedule? How has the firm and/or clients contributed to this?

Chelsea Witte-Garcia: I joined Wolf Greenfield seven and a half years ago in the firm’s Technology Specialist Training Program. As part of this program, I went to evening law school and was working an 80% schedule. I had done a full PhD program prior to joining the firm and had my first child during law school, so I had been extremely busy and was dealing with being a new parent. Once I took the bar exam and became an Associate, I knew I needed some flexibility. Instead of transitioning to a full-time Associate schedule, I moved to a 90% reduced hour schedule. While a 10% reduction in billable hours may not seem like a lot, to me it alleviated a lot of billing pressure and allowed time for other non-billable activities. Having that slight reduction in my annual billable hours frees up time for a personal break as well as other work-related activities such as business development, writing, or presenting at firm training sessions.

Wolf Greenfield, and in particular the Biotechnology Practice Group, has been at the forefront of appreciating flexibility. We had the opportunity to set up a home office long before COVID 19. The leadership really understood that not everyone wants the traditional career path. I’ve really appreciated that they’ve put a lot of time and investment in training individuals and they see your value, even if the day-to-day looks a bit different.

In a client-driven industry, there are always times when our jobs are unpredictable. I’m committed to being accessible and adaptable, particularly when there’s an urgent client need. I think clients appreciate that. We also leverage a very talented team of people that can pull together to meet clients’ needs. This can also be a valuable training opportunity for junior group members.

Manar Morales Shares “What Needs to Come Next” in Flexible Work on Breadwinners Podcast

On February 11, Alliance President & CEO, Manar Morales shared her expert insights on the future of flexible working and lessons learned from the pandemic on the Breadwinners Podcast.  This interview is truly worth your time. You’ll be amazed how much you’ll learn about the future of work in just 26 minutes!

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about Flexible Work: What Needs to Come Next.

Manar Morales Quoted in Law 360 Article On Parental Leave For Fathers

Alliance President & CEO, Manar Morales, was asked to share her perspective on parental leave trends and best practices in law firms in a February 10 Law 360 article. The article, Big Law Fall Short on Parental Leave for Fathers, provides insights into the importance of gender neutral parental leave policies.

“With a primary and secondary designation, that really becomes very gendered and women tend to take the primary leave and men tend to take secondary…When you have a primary and secondary caregiver you create the idea that one person [in a relationship] is devoted to their career and one to the family. It creates a hierarchy where no hierarchy exists.”

— Manar Morales

President & CEO

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance

 

If you need help developing your firm or company’s gender neutral parental leave policy, please schedule a call with Manar Morales or reach out to manar@dfalliance.com today.

Where Do We Go From Here? Optimizing Lessons Learned by Recommitting to & Reimagining Flexibility in 2021  

2021 Signature Seminar

Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm ET

Featuring Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.

A global pandemic, unprecedented shifts in how we work, and a national reckoning on race have made 2020 a year of accelerating and amplifying conversations around the future of work. As you look to 2021 and the new challenges and opportunities it will bring, join Manar Morales as she shares insights gleaned from the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance’s recent conversations with the heads of law firms, corporations, and associations around the country. Now is the time to spearhead discussions about what worked and didn’t work during COVID-19, how the pandemic has impacted your teams – particularly women and diverse employees – and how flexible work arrangements can lead to an even more successful and collaborative culture.