Linklaters offers lawyers chance to have a better work/life balance in return for lower pay in pilot scheme

Magic circle giant Linklaters is to offer its lawyers the opportunity to work fewer hours for a lower salary – but the scheme remains a pilot in four of the firm’s German offices for now.

The YourLink programme will enable associates to opt for a 40-hour week and agree set times for when they should arrive at and leave work, with the trade-off that they will be paid less. As Legal Cheek reports, the scheme is being set up as an alternative to the “classic” Linklaters career path, which essentially means long hours and constant availability through phone and email, in return for a princely pay packet. In contrast, those who opt for YourLink will not be expected to answer calls or emails outside work apart from in exceptional circumstances.

YourLink associates in their first year of practice since qualification will earn a salary of around £67,000, while those who opt for the “classic” career path will earn approximately £100,000. The scheme will be open to new and more experienced lawyers, with the option to return to doing more hours for higher pay at any time.

A Linklaters spokesperson did not reveal whether the firm plans to introduce the scheme to its London office, commenting: “We are treating the German 40-hour week model as a pilot to understand how it works and how it might be adopted in other markets. It is an example of how we are trying to innovate with different types of flexible working to ensure we attract and retain the very best talent.”