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As this website has covered at length over the past several months, many law firms have ushered attorneys and staff back to offices as law firms try to put the COVID-19 pandemic in the rear-view mirror. Many have noted how working from home rather than at offices saves attorneys time that they could use to bill more hours or complete personal tasks, and gives associates flexibility in their schedules. In addition, working from home can also reduce the chance that associates and staff are exposed to COVID-19. What I have not seen discussed as much is how working from home can also help associates and staff save money on transportation costs and other expenses. Although this may seem obvious, a poll I took among acquaintances showed that not many managers consider cost savings when deciding on work-from-home policies. However, with inflation as high as it is, more managers should consider the money attorneys and staff might save if they are not required to come to an office too often when evaluating remote work policies.
When I was working at firms before I started my own practice, I did not need to spend too much money to travel to and from work. I usually took two trains to get to work, and this only cost five dollars total each way. Although 10 dollars a day can add up, this was not enough to break the bank. However, I was lucky, and some people have far more expensive commutes. This is especially true for individuals who may wish to avoid public transportation due to the heightened risk of exposure to COVID-19.
I have a friend who needs to work at least twice a week out of her firm’s office in Manhattan. This friend is trying to reduce her exposure to COVID-19, which is still a threat even though many law firm managers seemingly wish to see past this threat with their office reopening plans. In order to avoid public transportation, this friend has been driving to work most days, and needs to pay upward of $70 a trip on gas, parking, and tolls. It is really easy for this to add up, and decisions from managers about how often attorneys and staff need to show up to an office can have a huge impact on my friend’s bottom line.
There are many other costs associated with traveling to an office other than transportation costs. For instance, people need to pay for dry cleaning more often when they wear professional outfits to head to an office. Of course, this is not too much money for a single day or week of work outings, but this cost can definitely add up. Moreover, people who work in offices are usually less able to prepare their own meals for when they are in an office and may need to pick up prepared meals close to an office. This can be much more expensive than meals that people might prepare themselves if they are working at home.
If attorneys and staff have children, then working in an office rather than working from home can have a major impact on their bottom line. When individuals work from home, they may be able to more easily take care of childcare needs. However, if attorneys or staff need to work in an office, they may need to place their children in daycare settings. Childcare can be extremely expensive and might involve long trips to and from childcare centers. Of course, not all attorneys and staff have children, but those employees that have kids might need to dig into their pockets to satisfy childcare needs if they are compelled to travel to offices.
Anyone who has been to the gas pump or a supermarket in the past several months can tell you that inflation has become a huge problem lately. Prices for all types of goods and services have gone up, and everyone is trying to cut costs and make their money go further in the present environment. It seems that costs associated with traveling to an office for work — such as gas, childcare, and the like — might even be going up more than the average inflation rate.
It is true that associates are getting paid record-high salaries, and firms are somewhat offsetting the higher inflation rate with higher wages. Law firms should be applauded for such efforts since this makes it easier for associates to deal with present conditions. However, managers should know that their decisions about whether employees return to offices do not just have health and social impacts on their employees, but can also impact their bottom lines in a substantial way. As a result, law firm managers should not establish arbitrary policies about returning to offices and should only require people to come to work when it is absolutely needed. This can help ensure that employees save as much money as possible and can enjoy all of the other benefits of working from home.
Jordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New York and New Jersey law firm. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at jordan@rothman.law.
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