 Corporate
law
firm
Stamford Law emphasises
work-life harmony for its
employees.
The firm, which has about
80 employees, does this
by adopting
a simple philosophy to work:
It
matters not where you do your
work, as long as it
gets
done.
Said one of its
directors, Mr Yap Wai Ming: "If we have a
job to do, we do it
regardless of whether it is
during
or after office hours or during
the
holidays. Work attitudes
will
also need to change.
We
cannot be bound by the 9 to 5
mentality
anymore." Stamford
Law employees tap on mobile
devices to free up pockets of time.
What this means is that lawyers are not
bound by the need to always be in office
and are, in fact, encouraged to take up a
flexible approach to work.
For those who opt for a flexible work
programme, the firm pays for the use of a
BlackBerry handheld device, which means
they can check and respond to e-mails while
travelling. So, lawyers can do work while
shuttling back and forth between clients,
courts and the office.
"When we started this project, there was
apprehension amongst some lawyers that the
device will encroach into their social and
private time. But in this globalised age of
the service industry,
contactability is
essential and the official working hours
are no longer drawn so
distinctly," Mr Yap noted.
Instead, what happened was that working
while on the move freed up precious pockets
of time, which in turn, allowed lawyers to
go home earlier.
"Clients also need not be concerned where
we are doing our work so
long as work is done," he added.
Lawyers who work late
into the night are also allowed to come in
late the next day, with no questions asked.
On top of allowing for flexi-hours, the
firm also sends their younger lawyers for
overseas postings for a more varied work
experience.
The firm has also been holding a "Bring
Your Kids To Work" day every year since
2004. This allows colleagues and their
families to get to know one another more
intimately and creates a more collegial
feel about the office, he said.
The firm's attention to its employees'
welfare is also anchored in the belief that
motivated employees will benefit the
organisation as a whole.
"A happy worker is a committed worker. The
manner in which a happy employee performs
his or her services will mean happier
customers and it can be a happily
contagious effect," Mr Yap said.
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