Blog Post #31

It seems that the legal profession has even more issue with the balance of work life and home life than other professions. Many attorneys report work/life balance to be the biggest gender issue. This probably because it is likely to disproportionately affect women since they generally stay home as care takers for their children. Therefore, they are most likely to use the flex-time options. Their work responsibilities and their domestic responsibilities tend to clash.

Even though work/life balance disproportionately affects women, it does affect men as well. Many attorneys feel that there is no satisfaction for their success and the amount of hours they put in. Most firms require between 1300 and 2000 billable hours per year, which means they are working far more than 2000 hours per year. This amount of time leaves no spare time to enjoy life. Even those without kids would like fewer hours just to spend less time at work. Fathers want to spend less time at work and be more involved with their children. it is likely that reducing hours will retain talented lawyers and create a sense of loyalty.

Most companies do offer flex-time and alternative work schedules, but most of their employees resist using them. They feel that they will be looked at as unequal and as having a lack of commitment if they don’t work full time. They think that working fewer hours makes them less visible, less important, and less worthy than the full time employees. This may because firms tend not to have written policies with standard guidelines but rather they create alternative schedules as a case-by-case basis. This generally allows for the part-time people to get paid significantly less, and it normally creates a violation of their hour agreement. The way attorneys are treated while using alternative schedules has a lot to do with the attitude of their supervisor. However, most attorneys feel that they do not get as good of assignments working part-time, they lose a level of respect, and they are unlikely to make partner. One woman said that, “going part-time is like dropping out of the race.” And anther woman said, “You just cannot be as competitive.” If these women who desire to go part-time after having children do stay full-time do to fear of losing their “edge” their parenting is questioned.