Biglaw

Top 50 Biglaw Firm Announces New 'Unplug & Recharge' Program, Making Time Off Billable And Bonus Eligible

Another firm is finally taking mental health and wellness seriously in the pandemic era.

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shoes or feet up on desk relaxingThis year is finally drawing to a close, and we’re all so very, very tired. The thought of working from home used to be seen as a somewhat of a luxury, but after doing it for almost two years, it’s become simply exhausting. As we’ve noted in the past, when your home is your office and your office is your home, the concept of work-life balance is no more, especially for lawyers who thought they were always “on,” even before the coronavirus crisis.

Back in March, Orrick came up with an amazing solution for this problem: the “Unplug Time” program. The firm offered everyone (i.e., staff, associates, of counsel, career associates, and partners) the chance to truly “unplug” by crediting up to 40 hours of bonus-eligible time for everyone to sit back, relax, and simply stop doing work. Many Biglaw firms talk a good game about mental health and wellness, but Orrick was the first firm (that we know of) to offer bonus-eligible hours dedicated to taking time off work. Now, almost one year later, another firm is following in Orrick’s footsteps.

Yesterday, Sheppard Mullin — a firm that brought in $867,416,000 gross revenue in 2020, putting it at No. 50 in the most recent Am Law 100 — announced that it would be rolling out an “Unplug & Recharge” program for certain attorneys at the firm. Both associates and special counsel can earn credit for up to 40 hours of bonus-eligible time to “recharge.” Here’s a slide from the firm’s video presentation with some details about its new policy:

Sheppard Mullin Unplugged

Sources we’ve heard from at the firm could not be happier about Sheppard Mullin’s new program:

Forty hours per year are credited toward our billable hours and we are expected to unplug completely during that time. As you can imagine, we are all thrilled and proud to work for a firm that is an early mover on this concept.

Congratulations to Sheppard Mullin on its exceptional new wellness policy. This firm understood the assignment when it comes to attorneys’ mental health and general well-being in the pandemic era.

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There are now just two firms that have made taking time off to rest and relax billable and bonus eligible. When will more join them? We sure hope it’s soon!

Earlier: Top 50 Biglaw Firm Rolls Out Incredible Bonus-Eligible Time-Off Policy

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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