Thanks to the incredibly contagious coronavirus outbreak, Biglaw firms across the globe have had to close their physical offices and encourage attorneys and legal professionals to work remotely. Some areas of the world have been more successful at flattening the curve and are now attempting to reopen their businesses — but employees are still incredibly worried about their health.
Earlier this week, a Chicago-based Biglaw firm tried to bring its Hong Kong workforce back to the office and employees were less than pleased considering that COVID-19 had recently started making a comeback thanks to lifted social-distancing restrictions. Lawyers and staff members were so shocked and outraged over the proposal that an anonymous letter was sent to firm management.
Which firm received pushback over its questionable decision?
Mayer Brown received a sharply worded letter from employees after they found out the firm planned to reopen the office. “You are putting us, our families and our communities at risk for no good reason,” the letter’s authors wrote. Law.com International has additional details on the letter’s contents:
The letter blasted Mayer Brown for telling lawyers and staff that they should return to work in the office. It also said the firm had failed to provide any support to those employees who had children at home. Hong Kong’s schools have been closed during the crisis and are not expected to reopen until late April.
“We want to express our dismay at the position the firm continues to maintain in the face of a global pandemic. You insist that we still come to work despite a grand majority of other Hong Kong firms, companies and government offices providing the option for employees to work from home,” the letter said.
The firm has since reinstated its voluntary work-from-home policy for all employees, which is a good thing, because one of its employees recently tested positive for COVID-19 and has been hospitalized. Mayer Brown noted in a statement that “[t]he health and safety of our people—each and every one of us— takes priority over everything else and is the only factor in play as our local leaders react in real time to a rapidly unfolding global human tragedy.”
Is your firm planning to make adjustments to its work-from-home policy anytime soon? Please email us or text us (646-820-8477) and we’ll update our policy tracker.
Mayer Brown’s Efforts to Reopen in Hong Kong Backtracked After Employees Raise Concerns [Law.com International]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.