Linklaters to offer voluntary redundancies to 225 secretarial staff

Linklaters has offered voluntary redundancies to all London-based secretaries. The magic circle firm has extended the offer to 225 secretaries and personal assistants following the announcement of a policy allowing its staff to work from home for up to half their week.

The firm says it is a voluntary scheme as they “continue to focus on innovative ways of working and shaping (their) secretarial teams to support a more agile working policy for the longer term.” It is also understood that there are no targets or plans for compulsory redundancy.

The covid-19 pandemic has forced many firms to embrace remote working and invest in technology that facilitates it, so it’s no surprise to see numerous firms committing to more flexible working conditions. Fellow magic circle firm Freshfields has also announced a plan to allow staff to work from home half the time post-lockdown, saying its “guidance follows feedback from colleagues who signalled a clear preference for more flexibility but also recognises the importance of in-person interaction to our culture, personal development and client engagement.”

The impact of this on certain roles remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Linklaters has also announced that it is to award a 5% bonus to all staff on a pro-rata basis for their work during the covid-19 pandemic.