Walkers introduce more flexible working

Law firm Walkers has just introduced new policies for its employees, giving them more flexibility in the work place, including offering staff the ability to work overseas, if their position allows them and if they have the right to work in another country. If that is the case, they have the opportunity to do so for up to 10 days without taking annual leave.

In a press statement, Walkers said for many, there were occasions when it would be helpful if they could work remotely for a short period from abroad, usually to accommodate family commitments and often in conjunction with a period of annual leave especially following a period of difficult travel during the pandemic.

Global Managing Partner, Ingrid Pierce said: “Being responsive to our clients and colleagues and consistently delivering high standards of service are key to success. We are excited about Walkers Abroad and hope that it will allow for optimum outcomes for both our people and our clients.”

Following a thorough review of its parental policies, Walkers has also further enhanced its global maternity and parental pay and leave policy as of 1 July 2022. The augmented maternity pay benefit, available to the workforce (64% of whom are women), exceeds local statutory requirements across Walkers’ offices in the Americas (Bermuda, BVI and Cayman), Asia and the Middle East (Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore) as well as in Europe (London, Dublin, Jersey and Guernsey), and responds to the diverse needs of the modern family, they stated.

In addition, family leave benefits have been significantly enhanced. The enhanced benefits support eligible employees following the arrival of a child and provide for 18 weeks’ maternity leave at full basic pay as well as eight further weeks of unpaid leave. Permanent employees can avail of this benefit following six months’ continuous service with Walkers.

The scope of these enhanced benefits means that Walkers’ family pay and leave benefits are well ahead of the benefits offered by most other firms in their space. The changes also provide further support to families who have adopted children or had children by surrogate, Walkers stated.

Chief HR Officer, Claire Townshend said they wanted to foster their inclusive culture.

“Research shows us that the majority of women will become pregnant during their working life, with up to 85% returning to work following maternity leave,” she said. “These enhanced benefits recognise the evolving needs that emerge at different phases of personal and professional lives and enables us to put the best support in place for our talented workforce, so as to ensure that they can achieve their best.”