Dentons UK and Middle East Arm Implements Four-Day Working Week

Dentons’ U.K. and Middle East (UKME) arm has officially implemented its four-day work week proposal, the firm confirmed on Wednesday, following a vote overwhelmingly in favour of the move.

Ninety four percent of the UKME LLP’s workforce agreed to the firm’s new scheme to work on flexible reduced work patterns from June to December.

The new patterns will consist of four-day weeks, or other equivalent flexible patterns, with an accompanying 20% reduction in salary.

Meanwhile, partners will continue with full working weeks but their distributions have been deferred and their drawings reduced by 20% for a period of six months.

Dentons UKME CEO, Jeremy Cohen, said in a statement: “These pre-emptive measures will protect our balance sheet whilst preserving our business for what we hope will be a busier period later in the year.

“Our aim is to come through this initial phase of the pandemic with the same sense of togetherness as we went into it, and the amazing level of support our people are showing both to the business and each other by signing up to these proposals says a lot about our firm.”

All fee-earners and staff members at the firm have also been asked to complete a survey “gathering opinions on the firm’s preparations for a possible return to the office once lockdown restrictions are eased” as well as on their working from home experience, the statement reads.

The firm has also appointed a “return to the office” planning team to prepare for a future re-opening of their U.K. premises.

Last month, Law.com International reported that the firm is furloughing over 100 staff members and deferring partner distributions across its UKME operations.

In April, Law.com International also reported that the firm had cut associate pay by 10% in its Paris office, where it introduced other measures.

Read more:

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