Olswang is to allow all of its lawyers and staff to take a three-month sabbatical in a radical scheme recently introduced at the top 25 firm.
The new measures will enable lawyers and members of staff that have been at the firm for four years to take a 12-week break.
At the moment Olswang estimates around half-a-dozen people have taken up the option, most of whom are fee earners. The London firm decided to introduce the scheme after staff feedback.
The system, which was introduced in the autumn, is being overseen by director of human resources Ffion Griffith. She commented: “We wanted to give people the option and flexibility to take a significant amount of time off work as they put a lot into the firm.”
She added: “We felt that it was sensible to give clear access to this option, because most people would feel it was an ambitious request and would think they needed to save up, leave, or change jobs if they wanted to do something along these lines.”
Olswang is the latest City firm to allow assistants to take extended absences as part of a wider flexible working initiative. Last year, Allen & Overy introduced a scheme allowing certain fee earners to take a three-year career break. Linklaters, meanwhile, introduced a scheme in May 2006 that would allow its trainees and solicitors to earn a day’s paid leave if they achieve 90% utilisation over a three-month period.