I know of at least two big law firms that offer part time or reduced schedule (separate from a parental leave or anything) like a 80% schedule where your hours requirement is 20% less and your salary is reduced by 20%.
Anyone with experience doing one of these arrangements? Was it actually successful or do you end up working the same hours but for 20% less pay and 20% smaller bonus? Would I be better off staying full time and just coming up short on hours?
I feel like people at my firm are generally aware of who is on a reduced schedule and try to be respectful of that but I'm currently at a midlaw firm.
Part time or reduced schedule actually work? Forum
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Re: Part time or reduced schedule actually work?
YMMV but at my old firm I remember hearing from an associate who did this that she was working roughly the same. I don’t have a bigger sample size, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to push your boundaries. It depends on the culture I suppose. Do you have a trusted mentor you can ask?
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Re: Part time or reduced schedule actually work?
I think that, as with basically all things biglaw, it depends on the partners for whom you work. I'm 75% of full time (i.e., make 75% of regular salary and get 75% of regular bonus if I hit 75% of full-time hours target) and have only rarely had any issues with boundaries/overwork. Never exceeded my hours target by more than about 10 hours. I'm a senior associate and have been on some form of part time for significantly longer than I was full time at this point. My firm also has an arrangement that pays hourly with no target billables - probably fewer than a dozen people on that train, though. I used to be one, and man was that the life, but it did make me concerned about job security.
On the other hand, I know a number of other folks at my firm have complained that, despite their formal arrangements, they end up working considerably more than their targets (to be fair, salary and in some cases bonuses get grossed up if you exceed your hours target).
Firm is probably V20s or V30s; I'm in a niche part of a niche group that has a reputation for being objectively difficult.
On the other hand, I know a number of other folks at my firm have complained that, despite their formal arrangements, they end up working considerably more than their targets (to be fair, salary and in some cases bonuses get grossed up if you exceed your hours target).
Firm is probably V20s or V30s; I'm in a niche part of a niche group that has a reputation for being objectively difficult.
