“Guilt” We‘ve all been there. The mum guilt, the dad guilt, the missing my daughter/son guilt. Cancelling on friends because you had to work late again…the list is endless.
We as individuals become so invested into our work, especially in the line of law we practice. Our work is time-pressured with heightened emotions from all sides so it’s inevitable that sometimes we forget that we also have responsibilities to ourselves and those we care about.
My career and the work I do is so important to me, but over the years it’s cost me personally. I’ve missed far too many dinners and evenings with friends, too many nights feeling too exhausted to have any kind of much needed, quality downtime. Whilst the working world appears to be a bit more flexible, prior to the pandemic most workplaces, including my previous roles had rigid hours, where you had to be chained to your office desk. I’ll be honest, after my maternity leave, I did not know if law was a career that I could practice as well as being a mum.
At NLS I’m able to combine my role as a mum with the work I love. The flexible working approach was a breath of fresh air to me; I no longer needed to feel embarrassed if I needed to step away to make a lunch or pick up the little one from school. I’m there for dinner and bedtime stories which is so important to me.
Hybrid working allows me to work around hearings and appointments within my routine. NLS have also implemented remote working which allows me to have the flexibility to start that bit earlier or catch up in the evenings to time manage my tasks.
The beauty of working in a close, connected team, gives me the confidence to approach my supervisor about my commitments; the response I get is one of understanding and positivity. I feel the fact my supervisor is compassionate is a rarity.
The policies in place are not just empty words, but an appreciation of the multitasking many have to do while practising law – employees at NLS are seen as humans, not robots.
The move to flexible working has assisted many with healthier mental wellbeing and finding that previously impossible work/life balance.
Momtaj Begum – Solicitor
