I respectfully thinks this misses a market dynamic. One group that incredibly benefits from WFH flexibility are parents of school-aged kids. Although they've hated schools closing they've loved the lessened need for child care outside of school and other flexibility. If there's an option, they'll flee places that go back to 5 days a week office. And there are options! Lots of employers were already starting to offer remote positions before the pandemic. Those won't go away, and will only grow. BigLaw, gov offices, etc., will all be competing against them for a not-insubstantial group of employees. They can try to go back to all office, all the time, but like the Big Three clinging onto outdated manufacturing, labor policies, and warrantee practices in the '70s, it's only a matter of time.
Other than anecdotally it seems difficult to get information. UBS for one seems to have decided that five days in office will NOT be their norm. Sizeable enterprises are apparently subletting millions of square feet of space; if true, this is at a minimum is a decision that cannot be reversed for some years. I understand that Jamie Dimon would prefer to keep all noses to the grindstone--but then his generation will soon be irrelevant.
Is it necessary to assume there will be a single "market norm" in regards to WFH policies going forward? Some places won't offer much flexibility, others will (and they'll be sure to highlight this on their website as one of their "benefits"). I wonder if there will even be noticeable intra-firm variance, i.e., partners who have disliked the WFH experience for a variety of reasons (less tech-savvy, super extraverted, or simply eager to go back to the typical firm experience) require that the associates on their cases be in office, while other partners might think "meh, so long as you are doing high-quality work, hitting your billables, and coming into the office often enough such that I know who you are/we have a relationship, I don't mind you working home some of the time."
I respectfully thinks this misses a market dynamic. One group that incredibly benefits from WFH flexibility are parents of school-aged kids. Although they've hated schools closing they've loved the lessened need for child care outside of school and other flexibility. If there's an option, they'll flee places that go back to 5 days a week office. And there are options! Lots of employers were already starting to offer remote positions before the pandemic. Those won't go away, and will only grow. BigLaw, gov offices, etc., will all be competing against them for a not-insubstantial group of employees. They can try to go back to all office, all the time, but like the Big Three clinging onto outdated manufacturing, labor policies, and warrantee practices in the '70s, it's only a matter of time.
Other than anecdotally it seems difficult to get information. UBS for one seems to have decided that five days in office will NOT be their norm. Sizeable enterprises are apparently subletting millions of square feet of space; if true, this is at a minimum is a decision that cannot be reversed for some years. I understand that Jamie Dimon would prefer to keep all noses to the grindstone--but then his generation will soon be irrelevant.
Five-day in-office workweek, David? Perhaps some associates will consider that a reprieve from the customary seven days...
Is it necessary to assume there will be a single "market norm" in regards to WFH policies going forward? Some places won't offer much flexibility, others will (and they'll be sure to highlight this on their website as one of their "benefits"). I wonder if there will even be noticeable intra-firm variance, i.e., partners who have disliked the WFH experience for a variety of reasons (less tech-savvy, super extraverted, or simply eager to go back to the typical firm experience) require that the associates on their cases be in office, while other partners might think "meh, so long as you are doing high-quality work, hitting your billables, and coming into the office often enough such that I know who you are/we have a relationship, I don't mind you working home some of the time."