Lawyers Drive 'Bottom Up' Push For Work-Life Balance

Lawyers Drive 'Bottom Up' Push For Work-Life Balance

LawFuel Law Jobs - The main drivers for better work life balance in New Zealand legal jobs is being driven by a ‘bottom up’ move, with legal job applicants and lawyers seeking greater flexibility in the way in which they work.

LawFuel, the NZ legal job site has questioned lawyers and firm managers who have indicated that while they are already moving towards greater workplace flexibility, the push is also stronger than ever from lawyers seeking to work in a more flexible environment.

The legal jobs market remains strong and as lawyers return from overseas or look at lateral moves in the market the need to embrace technology and the added benefits it can bring has become more pronounced.

Speaking with legal recruiter Kirsty Spears, she noted that ‘for the most part’ law firms are responding to the call for greater flexibility in working conditions.

Lifestyle is now a key factor for many when they make their next law job choice, be it with Big Law firms or otherwise. The ability to work remotely and to work different hours, or part time, has increasingly come to the fore in terms of what firms are offering candidates.

“More recently we are seeing people move for more lifestyle, balance, environment reasons, with the opportunity for flexible working arrangements the most sought after factor,” she told LawFuel.

Although some regional firms still appear to struggle to obtain quality candidates for some of their vacancies, there are nonetheless good opportunities that continue to present themselves for candidates who seek work outside of the main centres.

The Government’s regional development programme was expected to provide a significant boost in law firm activity, along with accompanying job opportunities, but Kirsty Spears says the firms are more cautious about what effect the new government’s fund might have.

For firms it appears to be a question of ‘wait and see’. Although there remains some strong economic activity in many of the provincial centres, particularly with strong commodity prices, which is also helping provide a buoyant economic situation for the firms and some good law job opportunities.

The main demand currently is for lawyers in the 4 to 7 years area, which is traditionally the time when many lawyers move overseas for their ‘OE’. However, as Kirsty Spears says, the gap in this area was also created by the global financial crisis.

About LawFuel Law Jobs - Part of the LawFuel law news group, LawFuel law jobs provides a dedicated platform for lawyers to search and list jobs. Adopting advanced technology on their global platform, the LawFuel Law Jobs site provides the ability to reach a lawyer market in both New Zealand and globally, as well as through LawFuel’s New Zealand LinkedIn and Facebook law jobs groups.

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