A Law Firm Is Making Staff Choose Between The Office & A 20% Pay Cut To Work From Home

Many people have gotten used to remote working during the pandemic, but a top law firm in the U.K. is apparently eager to get back to "normal" with people in the offices again — and it'll cost employees if they want to keep working from home.

Stephenson Harwood, a centuries-old law firm in London, has told staff that they can continue to work entirely from home if they agree to a 20% pay cut, reported The Times.

The company is giving its employees the option to continue working remotely post-pandemic, but critics argue it's not much of a choice when it means losing thousands of dollars a year.

Staff currently have the option to work from home for two days a week without losing salary, The Guardian reports.

However, the company is offering the entirely work-from-home option to staff and non-partner lawyers. And with a starting salary of £90,000, which is equal to around CA$145,000, a lawyer would be giving up about CA$29,000 per year just to keep working from home.

"For the vast majority of our people, our hybrid working policy works well," a spokesperson for the firm told The Guardian.

"Like so many firms, we see value in being in the office together regularly, while also being able to offer our people flexibility."

They added that the firm doesn't expect many people to agree to the arrangement.

The offer comes as many employers are struggling to bring employees back into offices after two years of working from home due to COVID-19.

Companies are coming up with strategic plans to lure employees back to the office by offering free food, bringing in cute puppies to lighten the mood and setting up social gatherings like movie nights.

On the flip side, Stephenson Harwood is choosing to bring employees' salaries into the mix with its push to bring them back to the office.

Stephenson Harwood is one of the top law firms in London with offices around the world, so we'll see if this kind of move catches on with others.