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Overcoming stigma of flexible working for men can reap benefits
While there is still a way to go in challenging the notion that men must be the ones to work the traditional full-time schedule and not work flexibly, one family lawyer explained overcoming such stigma can be rewarding, both for a firm and an individual lawyer.
Jerome Doraisamy
Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, Feeney Family Law solicitor Charles Letts said there is still somewhat of an expectation that men be willing and able to work traditional full-time hours – or more – and that looking after the children is the mother’s responsibility.
Mr Letts did note, however, that the stigma appears less prevalent for men and women who have separated from their partners and have parenting responsibilities.
“I do think that there less stigma when it comes to separated fathers seeking flexible work arrangements to spend more time with their children (which comes up fairly regularly for my clients),” he said.
“I also think that the stigma is lessening across all industries as women go back to work after having children and there is a move towards a much more balanced approach to parenting.”
The impression that men without such responsibilities need not utilise flexible working options may be contextual to particular legal practices, he reflected, outlining how his own experiences have helped both his personal and professional experience, and also improved outcomes for an employer.
“There were a few things that made me very comfortable seeking out flexible working arrangements which I don’t expect are present in all firms. The first was being exposed to other people working flexibly and seeing that it did not seem to have any negative impact on their career with the firm, he explained.
“Another was that I had a dialogue with my boss, from very early in my career, about my desire to both have children at some time and to be an involved and hands on dad, especially in the years prior to school, while still being a productive and valued member of the firm. The third (but linked to the first) is that the firm is set up to facilitate flexible and remote work, such as being able to access and work on things remotely as almost all documents are held electronically and focus on achieving outcomes for the firm and clients through our fixed fee processes, rather than worrying about logging billable time.”
In a nutshell, he surmised, the most important thing for men seeking such working arrangements is that they feel the people in the firm who really matter support flexibility.
Mr Letts mused that he has been lucky to have understanding superiors in the course of his career, who have “encouraged a culture of flexibility and working remotely, with a focus on outcomes rather than time-recording”.
“The focus on outcomes, both for clients and for the firm financially, has made working away from the office or at unusual times easier due to the transition to fixed fees and move away from time-based billing,” he concluded.
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
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