Articles From the Team

Are dads pulling their weight?

I am extremely fortunate that my husband (a lawyer) is able to share childcare with me and we are equally responsible for dropping off and collecting our young children. He is a great example of where law firm flexibility works. He works for a top tier firm in Manchester, who are fully supportive of flexible working and he is proof in practice! Obviously with a top tier firm he can often do long hours but the ability to do school drop off four days a week allows him to spend time with his young family before getting stuck into the working day. Given that we are both working parents, the agile working he has available to him and the support he has from his team has proved invaluable to us as a family on numerous occasions, and makes it easier for me to do my job.

So why then are so many law firms still clinging onto archaic working practices? I know many working women married to lawyers who still have to do the bulk, if not all, of the childcare. According to recent research “Dads who want to be more involved in the care of their children fear that asking for more flexible hours might damage their careers” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-39343754

This truly is a sad state of affairs if we are ever to correct gender imbalance in law firms and keep female lawyers in the work place at a senior level. Let’s hope that more firms move towards the way of my husband’s!

For more information contact Sharan Kokri at BCL Legal.