11 Tips for Working Remotely in the Legal Industry
In this article, we discuss the massive shift the legal industry has taken during March 2020 to enable almost entire workforces to work from home due to Covid-19. We share our own working from home tips and discuss the possible ramifications for roles in the future.
In light of challenging times, the legal industry has executed their business continuity plans in recent weeks. Practice Managers, Lawyers, Legal Secretaries and Administrators have created home offices and implemented working from home for most staff across their law firms. Paper based systems have been replaced with electronic measures where possible and meetings have shifted to Zoom, Skype and Whereby.
As of the end of March 2020, the vast majority of fee earners, lawyers and other staff are working from home. Some for the first time ever. Firms are needing to provide a safe working environment for their teams with considerations of self-distancing, employee welfare, occupational health and safety and the ever-changing state and federal government rules. It’s a constantly changing environment that easily makes your head spin.
The team at Legal People have worked at least part of the week from home offices over the last 2 years. We interview candidates from home, search for passive candidates from home and manage many of our client relationships from home. We saw a definite boost in team productivity and employee engagement when we made this change to our work arrangements.
These are not normal times, with many team members dealing with children constantly at home and needing to balance caring for elderly parents. If you are a team leader or manager, consider whether your expectations of their work product or work allocation needs to be adjusted at least in the short term. We are all working towards a new normal and are all in this together. For the most part your clients will be working under similar challenges.
We don’t know how long working life will be like this. We hope it will be a time of innovation, creative problem solving and solidarity.
These are our tips for successfully working remotely in the current environment.
- Stay Connected with your Team.
Have virtual team meetings and catch ups. These can be done via Skype for Business, Zoom or Whereby. Consider having a way for teams to chat in real time by using technology like Microsoft Teams or Slack.
- Keep People Informed
Stay in front of the chatter with a clear daily communication of any business wide company news or changes. Help your teams understand what is going on in your workplace, with your clients, and even in some cases with your own personal situation.
- Check on your Team’s Mental Health.
These are challenging times and now is the time to be looking out for each other. This is relevant to team leaders, managers and colleagues. Think about anyone you are particularly concerned about and make sure you check in with how they are coping.
- Fun is Important
Is there a way to inject some fun in your day? Share a safe for work funny Meme, enjoy cameos of family members and pets in video chats. Is there a competition you can run? Can you do a daily quiz? Anything that helps build morale is useful.
- Get Dressed for Work
Get out of your pyjamas. You will set yourself up for a better, more focused day if you are dressed comfortably and presentable.
- Write yourself a To-Do List
Getting what needs to be done out of your head the night before can be helpful. Ticking things off also helps you feel like you are achieving something!
- Set up a designated work space.
It is useful to have a working area that is away from your main living area. Can you turn a spare room into an office? This can help you separate your working and family life.
- Keep Office Hours
Try and stick roughly to your regular work hours. The temptation to work outside these hours will be hard to resist. Clients and colleagues will expect to be able to contact you during your working hours. Consider amending your e-mail signature to reflect the hours you are working.
- Managing Kids
Cut yourself a break with your kids. You are doing your best. Movies, screen time, video games, books and creative independent play can help you find productive work windows. Spend some time with them when you can. Play a board game, watch a movie together.
10. Make time to Relax and for Self-Care
At the end of the work day relax if you can with a family meal or catch up with a friend or colleague for a virtual coffee. Make sure you take time to get outdoors for some exercise. Lots of providers are offering virtual yoga, pilates and classes. Consider meditating for your mental health with an app like Smiling Minds.
11. Community is Important
Your workplace remains a community – take time to listen and to be kind to each other.
In these unpredictable times, accept what you cannot change and adapt to the new normal. When we emerge from our houses after this global challenge, the world will most likely be a very different place.
We wonder if everyone will head back to the law offices when we are over this challenge. Workplaces will have proven that virtually all staff can work from home, at least some of the time. Will we be able to get everyone back to their desks at the office?
Are you looking for a new and challenging role in the legal industry in Victoria? Legal People is your gateway to legal career opportunities. We are specialists in the Legal Industry. We recruit Lawyers, Support staff and HR professionals in Melbourne, Australia. If you enjoyed reading this article, you can follow our Company Page on LinkedIn for regular updates. To browse our currently available roles click here.
