The ongoing debate about how and where lawyers should work

The passage of “Right to Disconnect” laws in Australia will be the latest addition to the ongoing discourse around the ways in which professional services workers, including lawyers, should undertake their duties. Here, we check in on the state of affairs and why being “deliberate” is so important. In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back Hall & Wilcox partner Fay Calderone to discuss what’s happening on the ground with regard to the debate around working arrangements for lawyers, the intersection between legal compliance, safety and flexibility, why workplaces must be “deliberate” about how they are leading and managing staff and their idiosyncratic needs, and the likelihood of court proceedings around workplace relations increasing in the near future. Ms Calderone also reflects on the pertinent lessons learnt for business leaders coming into the new year, whether firms are implementing a “wait-and-see” approach to top-down approaches, the reasonableness of wanting staff back in the office, the need for more organic and empathetic approaches, where such staff management sits in the triage of urgent responsibilities for law firm partners, and how employees can be navigating such conversations with their employers. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for more insights!