Many law firms have decided to slow down their plans for the 2021 reopening of their offices amid the ongoing pandemic. While some have opted to cancel their previous plans without announcing a specific return-to-office date, others have given up on going back this year altogether, announcing return dates in 2022. Others still are clinging to their hopes for a successful reopening en masse in 2021 — as soon as next week.
One of those firms is Kelley Drye & Warren, a firm that once encouraged lawyers and staff members to do their best to come to the office from time to time this past summer, before it would move to a “fuller return to the office with flexibility for remote work” after Labor Day. That “fuller return” starts on Monday.
“We understand that you may be anxious about the return,” Robert Steiner, the firm’s New York managing partner wrote in an office-wide email earlier this week. “We have taken and will continue to take steps to make the office as safe as possible for all.” Some of those steps include:
- The use of an employee screening app to track attendance;
- Following CDC guidance on the use of masks;
- Requiring all visitors to complete a vaccination verification form; and
- Cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces throughout the office.
Steiner finished off his message by thanking all employees, and letting them know that although they may be anxious, there is still flexibility as the firm tries to achieve this new success as a team:
On behalf of the partners, I want to thank you once again for all that you have done to serve our clients and keep the firm running smoothly over the last eighteen months. As much as the return to the office signals that we are moving forward and past the worst of the pandemic in New York, there will be some added and unexpected pressures and challenges as we get used to new and changed routines. Please reach out to your practice group leader, your manager, to HR, or to me if you need some additional flexibility.
What has your firm announced as far as a reopening plan is concerned? The more information is out there, the more likely it is that firms will be able to establish a market standard for a return to work.
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(Flip the page to read the memos from Kelley Drye.)
As soon as you find out about the reopening plan at your firm, please email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Office Reopening”) or text us at (646) 820-8477. We always keep our sources on stories anonymous. There’s no need to send a memo (if one exists) using your firm email account; your personal email account is fine. If a memo has been circulated, please be sure to include it as proof; we like to post complete memos as a service to our readers. You can take a photo of the memo and attach as a picture if you are worried about metadata in a PDF or Word file. Thanks.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.