Working Families Work/Life Week
Posted on 11th October 2021 at 12:22
National Work Life Week is Working Families’ annual campaign to get both employers and employees talking about wellbeing at work and work-life balance.
We are committed to offering our employees a balance between their careers and their life outside of work. By offering flexibility we attract and retain some of the best talent in the sector. 80% of our team currently make use of our flexible working, whether that be in their hours, their location or both.
To mark Work Life Week, we asked our employees about our flexible culture, and what it means to them.
Linda
Spencer Shaw Solicitors has been the first legal practice in 36 years where, as an employee, I am treated as a full member of the team despite not working full time hours. They have, right from the beginning, wanted to employ particular people for their skills and expertise, not whether they will work fulltime plus.
It has been a breath of fresh air to be dealt with as a professional within the firm which has a practice of tolerance regarding working hours or days. I was set up as a remote worker with occasional visits to their offices in Birmingham which meant working through the Covid restrictions was much easier. As an inhouse Cashier this has proved revolutionary!
Working at Spencer Shaw has allowed me to continue in the work I really enjoy yet still have time to help care for my preschool Granddaughter one day a week. As well, I have been able to balance other demands on my time such as running a professional exam course for the Institute of Legal Finance and Management (ILFM) and deliver the occasional lecture on Solicitors’ Accounts Rules.
There is a lot of talk regarding work/life balance, and I am grateful that I have finally found a solicitor’s firm that practices this whole heartedly. We do have full time people as well as those working certain days or hours, and some are inhouse, whilst others are part or fully remote working. As a team, through technology, team meetings and the firm’s ethos this works well for our clients, the firm and ourselves. Thank you, Spencer Shaw Solicitors Ltd.
Laura
I started working at Spencer Shaw Solicitors a few months after my Dad had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease – a degenerative and terminal illness. Being a carer can be exhausting physically and mentally, but having a job I enjoyed really helped me, so finding a balance between work and home life was essential.
Working part time meant I was available to support my Mom both practically and emotionally as she cared for Dad. I was also given the flexibility to swap my working days or hours when I needed to, sometimes at short notice, without needing to justify why it was necessary. This was really helpful for hospital appointments, dealing with emergencies or even supporting my sister with childcare.
There’s a lot of focus around flexible working for practical needs, but for me it was just as important that I was able to enjoy family time. Working part time gave me the opportunity to make memories while it was possible. We were able to have more family days out and long weekends away than had I worked full time. Even during the pandemic, just having time for something as mundane as an afternoon with my Dad watching our favourite TV shows together was still valuable quality time.
Some workplaces don’t really cater for non-parents with their flexible working, so I am incredibly grateful for the genuine flexibility at Spencer Shaw. It isn’t just a policy or a bare-minimum box ticking exercise, it is thoroughly ingrained in the whole company. I never had to justify working part time or needing to swap my usual working days, and I was never made to feel inconvenient.
Spencer Shaw's approach to flexible working was invaluable to me and my family at a difficult time.
Nazia
The working culture at Spencer Shaw Solicitors is unique, in that it has truly embraced flexible/remote working. This is not just a policy, it exists in practice across the board and did so before COVID.
It enables individuals like me to commit to my role as an Associate Employment Solicitor fully, which I thoroughly enjoy, whilst maintaining a work life balance. This is a vital component for individuals who have other commitments which they don’t want to compromise.
For me it allows me to have valuable time with my children. So, I can be an active part of their life and learning journey, which is remarkable, and no parent should have to compromise on. Furthermore, it allows me to commit to voluntary roles that I undertake outside of work.
Spencer Shaw Solicitors has been a leading firm in show casing that flexible/remote working opens a wider talent pool and does not mean compromise. I am truly privileged to work with such a forward-thinking law practice.
Next steps
Find out more about why your company should have policies that help manage work/life balance.
If you would like to work with us, visit our Vacancies page to see whether we have any current vacancies.
Tagged as: Equality and inclusion, Our team
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