Extract from Doug Austin’s article “Return to the Office, Continue Working from Home, or Simply Quit?”
Last week, I wrote about whether virtual court proceedings are here to stay, and the benefits and challenges of conducting court proceedings virtually. But the courtroom is just one type of venue impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for legal industry professionals.
The next question is, will they return to the office anytime soon, or ever? And if required to return to the office, how will they react?
Most Expect and Want a Permanent Shift to Home Working
At least in one poll, conducted by The Global Legal Post, more than three quarters of business lawyers are anticipating a permanent shift to home working once lockdown restrictions end. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said there would be a slight (45%) or substantial (32%) shift to working from home with just 23% expecting a full return to pre-COVID norms.
Nearly as many (69%) said they believed this change would improve work-life balance with 50% believing it will boost productivity; that compares to just 17% who expect work life balance to deteriorate and 16% who feel the same about productivity.
