‘Right balance’: City staff to attend office two or three days a week

Staff at Eversheds Sutherland can come into the office for as little as two days a week from September under a new ‘blended working’ policy.

From 13 September, the majority of the firm’s employees will attend the office two to three days each week – including at least one ‘team day’ – with the remainder of the week spent working from home.

Attendance at the firm’s 10 UK offices is currently voluntary, with premises operating at a maximum of 30% capacity. From 21 June – when all lockdown restrictions are due to be lifted – office working will remain optional, and from 13 September the firm expects people to spend two to three days in the office each week.

Managing partner Keith Froud said: ‘We have all welcomed the increased flexibility of remote working in recent times, but we also appreciate the benefits of the office environment, and as we look to the future a hybrid working model - which we are calling blended working - is the right approach for our people, our clients and the business.

‘We believe that two to three days each week is the right balance, and this will include at least one “team day” where most if not all of a team will attend to promote face to face connectivity. We will phase in the new approach across the summer, with blended working becoming the norm in September, when we will focus on using in-office attendance to maximise the benefits of collaboration, innovation, learning and development (particularly for junior colleagues) and maintaining our culture generally.'

Magic circle firm Slaughter and May has taken a tougher approach to home working, allowing staff to work remotely up to 40% of the time. Trainees and new joiners will be expected in the office at least four days a week.