The coronavirus pandemic has changed the modern workplace as we know it, pushing lawyers into working from the safety of their homes instead of commuting to offices where they may contract an illness that’s caused more than 100,000 deaths in America thus far. Law firms themselves have had to adjust to this new reality, slashing pay, furloughing employees, and even conducting layoffs to come out on the other side of the virus alive.
You’d think that in this often hectic environment, Biglaw associates would be less satisfied with their jobs — especially given the fact that many of them are now working without any childcare whatsoever — but according to a new survey, women associates’ satisfaction has climbed to new heights. How could this be?
According to BTI Consulting, which interviewed and surveyed 369 law firm associates before and during the pandemic, women are responsible for a 12 percent uptick in overall associate job satisfaction, while men’s satisfaction remained unchanged.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being extremely satisfied and 1, representing you are ready to leave:
Pre-Pandemic Post-Pandemic Overall Associate Satisfaction 7.4 7.9 Women Associates 7.0 7.9 Men Associates 7.9 7.9
What’s driving women’s newfound satisfaction with their jobs during the pandemic? According to the survey, Biglaw firms are showing more empathy to their employees, which is ranked higher by women in importance than men. Firms are also giving their associates some breathing room during these tumultuous times, giving them 10 to 15 percent wiggle room in their billable hour targets, which ranked higher for women associates than men. From the survey:
Law firms did a good job of delivering on associates’ high expectations for how they would be treated and how well-informed they would be. Men have the same concerns but value these behaviors differently than women associates – resulting in the surge.
Let’s see if law firms are able to keep these satisfaction rates up when it’s time for associates to head back to the office. For some reason, we have our doubts.
Women Associate Job Satisfaction Soars During Pandemic [Mad Clientist / BTI Consulting Group]
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.