The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance’s 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.
PAST SPOTLIGHTS
If you are a professional working a flexible schedule and would like to share your story in an upcoming Spotlight on Flex, please contact Jane Caldeira.
Spotlight on Flex – Danielle Frappier
The 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.
This month, we are pleased to share insights from Danielle Frappier, Partner in the Washington, DC office of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.
Danielle Frappier: The key to making it work for me has been to remain responsive to clients, have a great team behind me, and keep things very organized. Although I try to keep certain core office hours, if there is an urgent matter, I make sure that I am available or someone on my team can cover it. Most of my clients don’t know (or forgot) that I have a part-time schedule because I work very hard to make sure that their needs are taken care of. That wouldn’t be possible without my fantastic team.
I actually think my part time schedule has helped me to achieve my business development goals, although I didn’t realize it when I first made the change. I was struggling to create my own business development path, particularly after having children, because all of my waking hours were consumed with attending either to client work or children. After I had my second child, my mentor suggested that I switch to an 80% part time schedule. That’s when a light went off for me: I could use that 20% “cushion” in multiple ways. Of course, it helped when I needed to take a sick child to the pediatrician or attend a school function.
Spotlight on Flex – Jennifer Stanley
The 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.
This month, we are pleased to share insights from Jennifer Stanley, Partner in the San Francisco office of Fenwick & West LLP.
Jennifer Stanley: I’m lucky that I can work on a “flexible reduced schedule” at Fenwick, and this allows me to maintain some work life balance – which I otherwise wouldn’t be able to achieve, and for which I am very grateful. I’ve had a 60% commitment to the firm for past decade, and I view my schedule as an overall annual commitment to the firm, rather than as a way to set specific working hours. Given the nature of my practice (technology transactional attorney), I don’t try to take specific days off each week. Instead, I’m available seven days a week if the client needs are there. Some days I work long hours and other days I don’t; sometimes I work on the weekends, and sometimes I take a day off during the week – it depends on what’s on my desk at a particular point in time – but I keep track of things on an on-going basis so it all balances out. There is no “perfect” balance or control, and I’m fine with that.
Spotlight on Flex – Amy Ufberg
The 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.
This month, we are pleased to share insights from Amy Ufberg, Partner in the Philadelphia office of Dechert LLP.
Amy Ufberg: My flexible work schedule has varied over the years between being at 60, 70 to 80 percent. I never focused on a set flex schedule or only working certain days. Instead, I alternated my time in the office as needed – if there was a family event, then I went and made up the time on another day. The firm let me grow professionally as my personal needs changed. I was promoted to partner and named practice group leader all while working flexibly. Earlier this year I returned to working 100 percent and also added another duty, that of Co-Hiring Partner for the Philadelphia office.
My practice group and my clients have all been extremely supportive as well. My practice focuses on estate planning, charitable planning, and estate and trust administration. Our group has “client teams” so if I’m unavailable, there’s always someone else that can answer any client needs. I develop very personal relationships with my clients so it’s easy to be honest with them about competitive demands. My clients know I’m available to get their work done.