{"id":14849,"date":"2020-05-21T13:45:48","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T17:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gutenberg-atl.staging.breakingmedia.com\/legal-innovation-center\/?p=14849"},"modified":"2020-05-21T13:45:48","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T17:45:48","slug":"new-ways-of-working-part-3-meet-flexwork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/legal-innovation-center\/2020\/05\/21\/new-ways-of-working-part-3-meet-flexwork\/","title":{"rendered":"New Ways of Working, Part 3: Meet Flexwork"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As COVID-19 prompted massive workplace closings this spring, remote work became mainstream. Indeed, from March 13 \u2013 just before most lockdown orders \u2013\u00a0 to March 30, the number of Americans working remotely doubled, from 31 percent to 62 percent, according to <\/span>Gallup<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s not the traditional work-from-home situation: <\/span>Gallup<\/span><\/a> found 70 percent of U.S. parents are homeschooling, too, making it challenging, if not impossible, to maintain a typical schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you are a parent trying to work without childcare or a new telecommuter adjusting to a makeshift office (or maybe both), these times call for a lot of grace, a lot of patience\u2026.and a lot of flexibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flexwork was sprung upon most of us in March and April, but it may be here to stay: In that first Gallup survey, nearly 60 percent of workers said they would try to work remotely \u201cas much as possible\u201d after restrictions on businesses are lifted. Savvy Legal Departments can use this forced Flexwork to experiment, to learn, and to emerge with forward-thinking flexible work arrangements.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Flexwork?<\/b><\/p>\n

The University of Washington provides <\/span>a simple definition<\/span><\/a>: Flexwork is any work plan that differs from the \u201cstandard workweek\u201d of five consecutive eight-hour days with consistent start\/stop times.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before the coronavirus, a study by <\/span>The Project for Attorney Retention<\/span><\/a> found that 14 percent of in-house legal departments offered \u201cpolicies that create a more flexible work structure.\u201d By contrast, 40 percent of legal departments ran on the traditional corporate model of five 10-hour(ish) days, and 30 percent emulated law firm life \u2013 \u201clong hours, interrupted vacations, and the like.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does It Work?<\/b><\/p>\n

Unlike more process-oriented working methods (such as <\/span>Lean Six Sigma<\/span><\/a>, which we profiled last time), Flexwork doesn\u2019t require a major shift in how you handle matters. In non-pandemic times, Flexwork stems from a tacit agreement with individuals that their work will get done \u2013 just not necessarily on a traditional timeframe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flexwork options used by in-house lawyers, as reported by The Project for Attorney Retention:<\/span><\/p>\n