Work/life balance under scrutiny at Ashurst

As the Lawyer reports, flexible working has come under scrutiny at Ashurst as part of a long-term project to improve the firm's working environment. Last September the City practice launched the Ashurst Committee to examine work/life balance across the firm. The committee's first project has resulted in a series of 10 working groups, taking place over the next few weeks, in which partners, associates and non-lawyer support staff will be asked to come up with ideas for flexible-working strategies. Once the working groups have reported back in February, their recommendations will then be put to the wider committee.

Head of the committee, senior partner Charlie Geffen, told the Lawyer: "The committee is not about quick wins or quick headlines; it's a long-term project engaging the whole firm to see how we can improve our working environment. Its first project is to see how we can help improve work-life fit for people. Other projects will follow. We've come out of a nasty recession. Life has changed and people now want different things out of their careers than they did before."

The Ashurst Committee is made up of eight members, including a senior partner and the firm's HR director. Other issues on the committee's agenda are gender, diversity and use of technology and communication.