Law firms feature in top 10 employers for working families

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DAC Beachcroft LLP, Hill Dickinson LLP, Mishcon de Reya LLP and Pinsent Masons LLP have each been named as one of the UK’s top 10 family-friendly employers.

Compiled by non-profit organisation Working Families, the list is now in its 15th year and continues to acknowledge and celebrate the organisations that go above and beyond in supporting the work/life balance and career development of parents and carers. Those that took part were assessed using Working Families’ benchmark and were scored on four key areas, including integration to organisational strategy and culture, and consistent practice.

Independent law firm Mishcon de Reya was recognised for its introduction of a comprehensive carer’s policy, which includes paid leave for carers. The firm has also implemented paid dependent leave, demonstrating that it recognises “the complexities of balancing professional commitments with personal responsibilities”. Speaking of the recent improvements that the firm has made to its policies, Vanessa Dewhurst, partner and chief people office at Mishcon de Reya, said they “are a testament to our dedication to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace”. Dewhurst added: “We are committed to evolving our practices to ensure that our people feel valued and supported throughout different stages of their lives."

Meanwhile, Hill Dickinson was celebrated for offering every employee the ability to arrange their working day around other commitments, including working remotely, working a four-day week or organising work around the school run. Carolyn Morgan, Hill Dickinson’s chief people officer, said the firm is “thrilled” to have been recognised once again before adding: “We have always sought to build our business around our people and took the decision very early on not only to embrace flexible working, but to create a working environment where flexibility is the accepted norm.”

Capturing the experience of more than 420,000 UK employees across the organisations that took part, the benchmark highlights various trends in flexible and family-friendly policies and practices, including that 96% of the benchmark employers actively encourage their managers to work in a flexible and family-friendly way and 62% offer paid carer’s leave.

CEO of Working Families, Jane van Zyl said: “With 96% of Benchmark employers having strategic plans to support family-friendly working and nine in 10 providing training for managers to lead flexible teams, it’s clear that we’re building a workforce that goes beyond ideals, to make this way of working a reality. In addition, the near-universal encouragement for managers to work flexibly themselves further underscores a commitment to creating work environments that are for everyone.”

DWF Group Limited, Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, Linklaters LLP, Mayer Brown International LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright, Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP and TLT LLP were named, alongside other organisations, in places 11 to 30 on the Working Families Top 30 Employers list.