EMCC case studies - Short-time working in the legal sector: the Flex Programme at Norton Rose (United Kingdom)

Norton Rose LLP, part of the Norton Rose Group, has been one of the few law firms in the UK that did not make staff redundant during the recent crisis. Instead it launched a one year ‘flex scheme’ in May 2009 that allowed the firm to either put volunteer partners and salaried staff on a four-day week for an agreed period at 85% of their normal salary, or to offer a sabbatical of between one and three months at 30% of their pay. This case study focuses on how the flex scheme was applied to staff in the UK’s London office. The aim is to assess the effectiveness of the programme in keeping staff in employment and maintaining the company’s viability in economically difficult times.