When perks are not enough

The striking aspect of our feature article this week on law firm perks is how sharply the survey findings based on Gazette research contrast with research we reported on last week.Yes, it is true that all the big players in the City offer attractive perks packages which may go well beyond private health care insurance plans and dress-down Fridays, and even extend to access to on-site doctors and health clinics, dentists and physiotherapists for their lawyers.And yes, many even offer massage and other anti-stress therapies, with one practice announcing this week that it is consulting a team of lifestyle professionals.But, as last weeks front-page article illustrates, solicitors firms still experience difficulty in retaining top quality staff especially top quality women.

Stress and the long-hours culture are putting many highly skilled women off the idea of partnership, and are causing some to re-think the whole idea of a career in the legal profession.To retain this invaluable asset, law firms must not dodge the issue of flexible working time.

It is true that some fields do not lend themselves easily to less rigid structures.

But the option of four-day weeks and shorter working days would allow lawyers of either gender to have fruitful family lives as well as successful legal careers.