Top Law Schools

I was on a zoom call with a partner on the excomm and he asked what it would take for us to return to the office full-time. There were a few associates on the call.

He had mentioned what other firms are doing (no office/hoteling, catered lunches regularly, etc.). He asked if any of that would sway our decision. We all said no.

Another associate said that eliminating the billable minimum for bonus would get him/her to come in since commuting will be worse because more people will be driving in now. The partner chuckled but didn’t really respond to that comment. The firm I’m at has a high hours minimum for bonus.

It got me thinking, what would it take for you to return to the office? Sorry if this was already discussed in a different thread!

I’m not kidding when I say they’d have to literally double my salary to get me to come in 5 days a week.

I’d come in 2-3 for free lunches and little perks like that, but I have a pretty easy commute. Oh, and casual dress. I’m never wearing a suit again outside of a client meeting (I’m transactional).

Let's get real. You show up at the office when other associates and partners show up at the office.

notinbiglaw wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:25 pm

Let's get real. You show up at the office when other associates and partners show up at the office.

I'm WFH Mondays and Fridays until explicitly yelled at. Most associates I've spoken to plan to do the same.

An ultimatum: show up or get out. That's it.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:42 pm

notinbiglaw wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:25 pm

Let's get real. You show up at the office when other associates and partners show up at the office.

I'm WFH Mondays and Fridays until explicitly yelled at. Most associates I've spoken to plan to do the same.

Even if I get yelled at...so what? I'm not a lifer and corporate is so busy they aren't going to fire me over doing my job. I plan on going in maybe 1-2 days a week, and I envision many weeks where I don't go in at all.

At a minimum, pay for Ubers and the best hotspot dataplan so I can bill during my commute.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:06 pm

I was on a zoom call with a partner on the excomm and he asked what it would take for us to return to the office full-time. There were a few associates on the call.

He had mentioned what other firms are doing (no office/hoteling, catered lunches regularly, etc.). He asked if any of that would sway our decision. We all said no.

Another associate said that eliminating the billable minimum for bonus would get him/her to come in since commuting will be worse because more people will be driving in now. The partner chuckled but didn’t really respond to that comment. The firm I’m at has a high hours minimum for bonus.

It got me thinking, what would it take for you to return to the office? Sorry if this was already discussed in a different thread!

I was on call with a partner I have a good relationship with, and I asked him, unofficially, how's the leadership feeling about re-opening. He said the funniest thing was that the partners were also totally split between people who never wanted to come in again, people who want to turn the clock back to Feb 2020, and people in the middle, so he had no idea how it was going to shake out, other than to say there's no way it'll remain fully remote. I live near the office so it's no big deal for me, but I was on a zoom call with a guy who literally bought an old farmhouse in view of cows through the window, so that guy's 90 minute commute will be godawful.

I'm not a lifer, so I'd probably come in as soon as I feel pressured to and just plan to quit sooner. I'm already on the edge.

Yeah, there's almost nothing but significantly more money that would make me want to go back to things as they were before (in the office from 8-8). I would go back to the office if there's a reason - a group meeting, working on a project with someone that we need facetime on, etc. I do think really great perks would make me feel better about going in IF I am already going to be going in. It would also be nice if going back in didn't come with the expectation that we be there for 12 hours or until a particularly demanding partner leaves - if I could come in and still go home to walk my dog at 6 that would be fine. Casual dress (not business casual, which we already have) would be nice too. Basically I want to be able to live my life with the limited flexibility this job COULD provide (but that firms have, pre-pandemic at least, chosen not to give). If I want to take a 4 day weekend and visit family out of state, I want people to not care or notice that I'm not in the office.

I would go back in if it could be:

-casual (jeans, sneakers, t-shirt with arms showing, no tie)
-could leave and commute back home if the day was slow
-salary increase to 210k

I would consider going in full time if my firm made the COVID bonuses permanent or raised base salaries an equivalent amount. Otherwise it would take the threat of being fired, which I wouldn't even take that seriously so long as the market remains hot and I can negotiate a part-time or full-time WFH arrangement with another firm.

Short term, I'll move as slowly as possible but eventually come in. But if the market stays this hot and I can lateral to a better WFH firm, then it's hard to imagine how anything other than full Google campus level perks can get me physically back in a biglaw office long term.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:42 pm

notinbiglaw wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:25 pm

Let's get real. You show up at the office when other associates and partners show up at the office.

I'm WFH Mondays and Fridays until explicitly yelled at. Most associates I've spoken to plan to do the same.

Everyone gangsta until they’re told by partners that they’re on probation.

Jyeatbvg wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 4:13 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:42 pm

notinbiglaw wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:25 pm

Let's get real. You show up at the office when other associates and partners show up at the office.

I'm WFH Mondays and Fridays until explicitly yelled at. Most associates I've spoken to plan to do the same.

Everyone gangsta until they’re told by partners that they’re on probation.

Jyeatbvg wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 4:13 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:42 pm

notinbiglaw wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:25 pm

Let's get real. You show up at the office when other associates and partners show up at the office.

I'm WFH Mondays and Fridays until explicitly yelled at. Most associates I've spoken to plan to do the same.

Everyone gangsta until they’re told by partners that they’re on probation.

Exactly. Plus, how is this a big change? By going back you've already indicated you agree you need to come in to do your work properly. So come in the other days as well, or just quit. I don't understand this whole compromise nothing. Either you come in, or you don't at all.

Sad248 wrote: ↑

Tue May 25, 2021 5:32 am

Exactly. Plus, how is this a big change? By going back you've already indicated you agree you need to come in to do your work properly.

No? Going back indicates that you realize your firm has the power to tell you what to to, not that you agree you need to come in to do your work properly. Also having some work that goes better if you’re in the office doesn’t mean you that all your work requires you being in the office.

Sad248 wrote: ↑

Tue May 25, 2021 5:32 am

Jyeatbvg wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 4:13 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:42 pm

notinbiglaw wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 12:25 pm

Let's get real. You show up at the office when other associates and partners show up at the office.

I'm WFH Mondays and Fridays until explicitly yelled at. Most associates I've spoken to plan to do the same.

Everyone gangsta until they’re told by partners that they’re on probation.

Exactly. Plus, how is this a big change? By going back you've already indicated you agree you need to come in to do your work properly. So come in the other days as well, or just quit. I don't understand this whole compromise nothing. Either you come in, or you don't at all.

Thankfully 18 months of working from home with record profits has taken this argument about needing to be in the office to "properly" work off the table.