Featured Job Survey: Firms With Benefits
We received 826 responses to last Thursday's ATL / Lateral Link survey, which asked you what kind of benefits, leave or part-time policies you would most like your employers to offer.
Both men and women found a reduced-hours track with lower compensation a particularly appealing policy, with roughly a third of male respondents and a quarter of female respondents ranking it their top choice.
However, roughly the same number of female respondents ranked on-site childcare as their top choice, and almost twelve percent of male respondents agreed.
A telecommuting option was also appealing, with more than a quarter of male respondents ranking it as a first choice, and a fifth ranking it #2. Fewer women, 14.4%, ranked a telecommuting policy as the most appealing option a firm could provide, but roughly seventeen to eighteen percent of female respondents ranked telecommuting as their second, third, or fourth choice.
Less than ten percent of men and only 15.7% of women ranked a flex-time policy as their top choice, but it was actually the most popular second choice for respondents of each gender.
Both men and women also generally preferred the idea of a two-year part-time track, treated as one year for seniority purposes, to either longer parental leave or a six-month part-time option.
See charts of responses by both genders, after the jump.
Men's Responses: Which of these policies would appeal to you most?
| First Choice | Second Choice | Third Choice | Fourth Choice | Average | |
| Longer parental leave. | 5.00% | 7.20% | 12.50% | 11.80% | 9.10% |
| On-site childcare. | 11.60% | 10.80% | 9.10% | 12.10% | 10.90% |
| A six-month part-time option. | 4.40% | 9.70% | 16.60% | 14.70% | 11.30% |
| A flex-time option. | 9.70% | 23.80% | 17.20% | 19.40% | 17.50% |
| A reduced hours track with lower compensation. | 32.70% | 13.60% | 10.20% | 11.80% | 17.10% |
| A two-year part-time track that's treated as one year for seniority purposes. | 10.20% | 14.70% | 17.20% | 17.60% | 14.90% |
| A telecommuting option. | 26.30% | 20.20% | 17.20% | 12.60% | 19.20% |
Womens' Responses: Which of these policies would appeal to you most?
| First Choice | Second Choice | Third Choice | Fourth Choice | Average | |
| Longer parental leave. | 6.90% | 9.70% | 11.40% | 16.70% | 11.10% |
| On-site childcare. | 25.20% | 12.50% | 15.10% | 15.50% | 17.10% |
| A six-month part-time option. | 2.40% | 6.20% | 7.30% | 14.00% | 7.40% |
| A flex-time option. | 15.70% | 23.20% | 20.60% | 8.80% | 17.20% |
| A reduced hours track with lower compensation. | 25.60% | 12.70% | 14.00% | 13.50% | 16.50% |
| A two-year part-time track that's treated as one year for seniority purposes. | 9.90% | 17.80% | 14.40% | 14.20% | 14.10% |
| A telecommuting option. | 14.40% | 17.80% | 17.20% | 17.30% | 16.70% |
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My favorite perk: Being able to read ATL all day and get paid!
I've heard it said that if you're part-time at a firm the only thing that is part-time is your check, since its very difficult to disengage from matters or to limit the engagement to aspects that would fit into a part-time schedule. Anyone care to confirm or deny this?
I can imagine some practice areas are different, but I would think the above is true for transational work and litigation.
Foley has a reduced hours track with less compensation.
Did you make clear whether the ons-ite childcare was just for emergencies?
11:42: It could work if an associate is staffed on fewer deals. You might still have some crazy times on the deals you are on, but at least it would not be 24/7.
11:42:
"Part time" is usually about 40 hours a week, sometimes slightly less.
Friends with Benefits are great for late-night bootie calls.
We have a part-time "of counsel" in our department. I don't see how it works effectively, at least from the firm's point of view. She doesn't handle any deals at all. In fact, I really don't know what she actually does from day to day. No way she ever makes partner here, but I don't think that is her ultimate goal either. I don't see how someone could maintain part-time hours and remain on the partnership track. Assuming equal abilities, it's just not fair to the other associates, and the part-timer's skills are not developing as fast as others who are doing double the work.
To Anon, 1240: I am AM LAW 25 trained. Was full time for 8 years, then went on a reduced schedule. Had client and billing responsibility. What did part time mean? I tried to work from home on Fridays. Sometimes, that meant I billed a full day from home, sometimes I came in because I wanted to get a filing ready, sometimes I played, the key is flexibility on the part of the attorney and the firm. To say "I'm not available at all on Tuesdays and Thursdays" or something like that, in my view, does not work. Clients demand attention and if you want to retain those clients (and have independence and personal career success) you need to let them know you will be there for them. My old firm did not allow part time partners, so I took my clients and went to a great new firm. Each person's situation is different, but I know that I make substantial financial contributions to my new firm and have the expertise. Some women do not want to be flexible with the hours at work vs. home. That's they're choice. But they will not have as many options in the long run. Better to view the flexibility over the course of the year rather than day to day or week to week.
Data entry is one of the best and popular work for earnings. On can do it from home and can earn a good amount.