Magic circle firm Clifford Chance will allow staff to work from home up to 50% of the week ‘where the role allows it’, under a policy due to come into force on 21 June.

UK regional managing partner Michael Bates said: ‘In listening to feedback from our people and considering how to support high performance, productivity and wellbeing, we believe we should work in a more agile and flexible way than we have historically.  We are therefore looking to establish an approach that will balance flexibility with the  collaboration, teamwork, creativity, training, development and other benefits we gain from spending time in our office environment. ’

The new approach is due to come intro force from 21 June in line with government guidelines. However, Clifford Chance said it is ‘mindful of the safety of our people and will therefore review this to take into account the external environment at the time’.

Earlier this week, national firm Irwin Mitchell told its 3,000 employees that subject to their work being completed effectively, they can choose what hours they do and whether they come into the office or not.

Its 15 offices are expected to be open at 50% capacity from 21 June and in future these sites are expected to become hubs for collaborative working.

Elsewhere in the City, Simmons & Simmons has announced that it will be paying staff a one-off bonus to recompense those who took a 20% pay cut and moved to a four-day week in the second half of 2020. Employees worldwide who signed up to the scheme will be repaid 100% of any salary reduction.

Simmons & Simmons has also finalised its global policy around hybrid working, which will enable staff to work remotely two to three days a week if their role allows.