English law firm insists on office attendance to qualify for bonus

The firm’s mandate challenges expectations of a remote working future in the post-pandemic world.

Graham de Guise, the head of personnel at the firm, said: “To be considered for a bonus, our people would normally need to reach our minimum expectations across a number of areas.” He listed the criteria as including total time recording, the accomplishment of “stretching objectives”, and “being in the office more often than not.”

Mr De Guise further clarified the policy, saying that “more often than not, for our full-time colleagues, we mean three days a week spent in one of our offices or with clients”.

He acknowledged there were valid reasons that could prevent this level of attendance and said that such cases would be “taken into full consideration when making decisions on bonus eligibility”.

The office attendance requirement is set to take effect from the next bonus round. According to Mr De Guise, the Bristol-based firm maintains that office working offers substantial advantages in terms of relationship building, idea generation through collaboration, peer learning, and preserving the unique culture of the firm.

This updated protocol from Osborne Clarke follows an announcement from another City firm a year ago, suggesting a 20 per cent pay cut for staff opting to work exclusively remotely. Stephenson Harwood offered this post-pandemic solution as law firms and businesses grappled with reconciling remote working with substantial office space portfolios.

Last year, Hogan Lovells, another City firm, brought in “adorable puppies” for two days in an attempt to entice staff back to the office, hiring animal therapy provider Paws in Work.