Keeping the office happy with perks that work

From flex time to monthly office birthday parties, there are all sorts of ways you might try to keep employees and lawyers happy in your law firm. But have you ever wondered which perks really work – and which just aren’t worth the extra time, paperwork or effort?

According to consultants Robert Denney, of Robert Denney Associates in Wayne, Pa., and Dustin Cole, of Attorneys Master Class in Longwood, Fla., here’s a look at what works to maintain high morale around the office.

Perks that work

Flexible work arrangements

Not surprisingly, any kind of flexibility with work time is well-received by attorneys and employees alike. People are interested in anything from flexible work hours to part-time work to working from home, Denney said.

Pro bono work time

Attorneys also want more control of what they do with their work time, Denney said.

Professional development

Young lawyers in particular are looking for “CLE courses and mentoring to feel they are progressing as a lawyer and developing their expertise,” Denney said. “This is one place where a lawyer will accept a little less money if they feel they are getting excellent training and development.”

Cole emphasized that professional development opportunities should not be limited to lawyers. Staffers have the same desire to build their professional expertise, he said.

Easier road to partnership

According to Denney, more firms are allowing lawyers to become partner but without all the traditional strings attached.

“Some young lawyers don’t want to go out and market the firm and invest capital and extra time in the firm” as partners are generally required to do, he said.

As a result, firms are allowing some lawyers to become nonequity partners, receive a partner-level salary and be known as a partner in the community but don’t take the traditional partner profits or take on extra firm marketing work.

Reduced billable hour requirements

Some firms are dropping the number of required billable hours, which reduces pressure on attorneys and makes it easier to do community work as well.

Perks that flop

Employee-of-the-month

When it comes to employee-of-the-month recognition programs, Cole said, most employees just turn up their noses because they would rather have a bonus.

Group birthday parties

Monthly companywide birthday parties can “turn a good thing into a bad thing,” Cole said. “What employees resent is institutionalizing social things. It takes the personality out of buying a cake for someone’s birthday, and it shows up to employees as the company wanting to stop them from wasting time” on individual people’s occasions.

Time off on short notice

“A firm I know will give their employees a half-day off before Christmas or New Year’s, but they don’t tell anyone it’s happening in advance,” Cole said. “No one can make any plans, and they turn a benefit into resentment.”

Not keeping promises

What’s the biggest morale buster for a company? Giving lip service to certain perks without keeping their promises.

“Not really executing [perks and benefits] is the worst thing a firm can do,” Denney said. “If they talk about professional development or flex time and they don’t follow through, it boomerangs, and that word gets out to law schools.”

Unstandardized comp time

Despite a universal interest in more time off and flexible working time, Cole said allowing comp time can be dangerous if the policies that define it are unclear and some employees start to abuse it.