With the pandemic waning, many fields are calling for their work-from-home employees to return to the office. For instance, according to a 2022 global study from Microsoft, 50% of business leaders reported that they want their workers back in the office. Yet, in that same study, 52% of workers stated that are seeking out fully remote or hybrid employment opportunities.
With this stark contrast in desires, it is difficult to discern what is most strategically and fiscally responsible in choosing work formats for employees, both in terms of productivity and retention. Today we’ll be exploring both the trends for remote work in the legal sector and how compensation is being considered in attracting and maintaining remote lawyers.
What are the current trends in remote legal work?
Despite employers wanting in-office lawyers, remote legal work seems to be holding staying power, as many legal teams are recognizing that acquiring top-tier talent requires top-tier perks, a chief one being flexibility in work location.
This is demonstrated by the high rates of firms continuing to seek fully-remote lawyers to join their teams, with 57% of firms actively seeking “fully virtual lawyers” and another 18% contemplating the option, according to a survey of 30 AM Law 200 firms conducted by Aon.
These hiring trends are undoubtedly also due to the same or even improved quality of work being produced by these remote employees without enduring the overhead costs traditionally associated with a new hire. However, even with remote hires on the rise, deciding salary amounts still seems to be confounding some firms, signaling a need for guidance on compensation scales.
Determining Compensation in Remote Legal Work
Even with this increase in remote legal positions, determining salary amounts has been complicated, as this new sector has been selecting varying salary amounts for new hires and is often unsure if it should be paying less for workers who opt out of the office experience.
The same Aon study from above found that 26% of firms were unsure how they would approach salary for remote legal roles and 35% defaulted to a case-by-case strategy. This confusion does not benefit employers or employees, as employers may lose out on great fits due to an underwhelming compensation package and employees may not know how to properly sell themselves.
Right now, it is best advised to offer salaries that reflect the packages offered to in-person legal hires, as it is easiest to follow precedent even during unprecedented times. In this way, the needs of both parties are met.
Knowing the trends and considerations of hiring and compensation in remote legal work not only ensures that you are knowledgable when beginning the employment process but competitive in a marketplace where top talent holds more leverage than ever. More so, you’ll be able to create a work culture where remote legal employees feel equally valued to their in-person counterparts, boosting morale and ultimately, the quality of your firm.