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Reed Smith introduces new agile working policy

Category: Home & Flexible Working

Image of the Reed Smith logo, reading Reed Smith, the business of relationships

On the 26th April 2017, global law firm Reed Smith announced their new agile working policy for employees in their London offices, effective immediately.

This scheme will allow around 350 lawyers from Reed Smith’s London offices to make the most of working away from the office and operating with flexible hours. The introduction of this new flexible working policy means that there is no limit to the amount of time that employees can spend out of the office. However, this new flexible working policy states that any lawyers who want to work outside of the office must first gain approval from their partner, practice group leader or line manager.

There are around 40 trainee employees at Reed Smith’s London offices that will be unable to benefit from this change due to the nature of the programme that they are undertaking. As these training programmes may require supervision and face-to-face communications to take place within the office. The agile working policy will also not apply to those who are required to perform on-site facilities roles.

The introduction of Reed Smith’s agile working policy will be used where appropriate, for example it may be unsuitable for those who are learning a new role, having a face-to-face meeting with a client or colleague or when the work being performed is of a confidential nature, that would benefit from the security of Reed Smith’s offices.

Commenting on the introduction of the new agile working policy, Reed Smith’s managing partner, Andrew Jenkinson, said:

“At Reed Smith, we are continually looking at how we can evolve and adapt our ways of working to embrace technology and afford our staff greater flexibility. We have taken the decision to adopt agile working in order to fully support all personnel in meeting their work goals: where, when and how they see fit.”

Reed Smith recognises that the introduction of an agile working policy can have a positive impact on the productivity of its employees, whilst also balancing the delivery of excellent client services. In addition to this, agile working policies have also been shown to increase the retention of some of the most talented employees as they allow individuals greater flexibility regarding how they work.

The introduction of this policy will be a learning curve for many of Reed Smith’s employees as they learn which style of working best suits them, as agile working will not be suitable for everyone within the organisation. However, through the use of open communication and judgement, there is a lot to be gained through the introduction of this programme, for both Reed Smith and its employees.

The use of technology in the delivery of legal services and the working environment has meant that Reed Smith has been able to implement this agile working policy by emphasizing the use of technology outside of the office. At Reed Smith, employees are able to use the Citrix environment outside of the office in order to work securely where there is an internet connection. They are also able to use mobile devices to work when they are on the move.

Reed Smith secured a respectable B grade for their work/life balance in Legal Cheek’s 2016/17 annual law firm survey.

In addition to the introduction of this agile working policy Reed Smith will also continue to offer separate formal flexible working arrangements.

Are you interested in a career with Reed Smith? Please click here.

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VERCIDA works with over one hundred clients who are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. If you are an employer and interested in working with VERCIDA to promote your diversity and inclusion initiatives and attract the best candidates, please email [email protected] for more information.

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