Late in May, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom sent ripples across the sector when it became one of the first elite law firms to institute four in-office days. It’s just one extra day on the common three-day in-office week. Yet, somehow, it’s being viewed as a significant cultural play, a lurch towards tradition, maybe even a reversal of bedded-in hybrid working.
“The fact is management want people in the office more and more, so there’s no reason why we can’t expect the return of five-day weeks [in the office],” one U.S. firm associate told me. “Client meetings are back, visibility is once again essential. The messaging from [superiors] is subtle but clear: if you’re in less, you’re less visible; if you’re less visible, you’ll get less work sent your way, which means your billables will suffer.”
