What just happened?
While it may have seemed that we were weathering the storm that is the Coronavirus Pandemic, the latest news on the horizon suggests the rocky ride we have all endured is seemingly going to get progressively worse.
Though it was only 10 days ago that the first person in the United Kingdom had received the heavily anticipated Pfizer vaccine,[1] said to be 90% effective against combating Covid-19, increasing whispers about a different variant or modified strain of Covid have been spreading through the South East of England,[2] about as quickly as the new strain has too.
With this “new strain spreading 70% faster”[3] than the initial virus that broke headlines back in December 2019, security and stability on the job front is once again proving difficult to maintain.
What does this mean?
Since February, the job market has been an increasingly unstable place for the majority of people world-wide. Whether it was graduates or those in senior positions, Coronavirus has taken no prisoners in whose livelihood it will affect. Although Boris Johnson’s government has introduced the furlough scheme, that has now been extended to late April 2021[4] and will presumably continue to be extended, it seems that job security is another socio-economic factor that will continue to be suppressed.
Travel and retail are two of the sectors that have seen the largest impact. With travel being suspended for a four-month period and mandatory quarantining upon your return if you do travel to countries both inside and outside of the EU, it’s difficult to anticipate when we might see a breakthrough within the job market in this sector.
Likewise, it was only two weeks ago that Sir Phillip Green graced the front page of newspapers and magazines as his multi-million-pound Highstreet empire, ‘Arcadia,’ released the news that it would be going into administration, leaving 13500 jobs in the balance.[5]
How does this affect the legal sector?
One area that has seemingly been heavily affected is the legal sector. Although when we typically view the legal sector as a place of work, the initial image that comes to mind is a courthouse full of lawyers, baristas, solicitors and of course a judge. However, the individuals in this environment are made up of countless other members of staff in vital positions that are currently at risk.
For instance, the international firm Pinset Masons has predicted that 20-30 roles could be cut in each of their offices world-wide, after it has been forecast that in the future clients are less likely to visit the firms themselves.[6]
The key victims of job loss are likely to be support staff and legal secretaries, due to the fact that the pandemic has “changed the way legal matters will be handled permanently.”[7]
While Covid-19 has had an overwhelmingly negative impact on law firms across the United Kingdom, it has also allowed for versatility for these key workers to adapt to a new way of working. LawCareers.net reports that large firms “Taylor Wessing and Linklaters have been working on agile strategies”[8] so that the key players are able to confidently and comfortably work from home, for at least half of the week, until the pandemic passes. Something managing director of Pinsent Masons, John Cleland, never thought would be a possible option. [9]
While Covid has been a true eye opener for which jobs are essential to a company’s growth and success, it’s been a great challenge to explore and adapt to new ways of working outside of a structured office environment.
Written by Emily Kavanagh
Assessing Firms:
#HowardKennedyLLP #TraversSmithLLP #MacFarlanesLLP #HoganLovells #HerbertSmithFreehills #DLAPiper #IrwinMitchell #BurgesSalmonLLP #White&CaseLLP #AkinGump #Bird&Bird #Dentons
References:
[1] Nick Triggle, “Covid-19 Vaccine: First person receives Pfizer jab in UK.” (BBC News, 8th December 2020) Accessed 15th December < https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55227325#:~:text=A%20UK%20grandmother%20has%20become,%22best%20early%20birthday%20present%22. >
[2] Ian Sample. “How a new Covid strain may have spread virus in South of England” (The Guardian, 19th December 2020) Accessed 20th December < https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/14/how-a-new-covid-strain-may-have-spread-virus-in-south-of-england >
[3] Emma Brazell “Mutant Covid ‘is spreading 70% faster’ But is no more lethal” (Metro News, 19th December 2020) Accessed 20th December < https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/19/mutant-covid-strain-is-spreading-70-faster-across-the-uk-13777458/ >
[4] HM Treasury “Chancellor extends furlough scheme” (GOV.UK, 17th December 2020) Accessed 18th December. < https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-extends-furlough-and-loan-schemes >
[5] Elias Jahshan. “13,000 jobs at risk as Arcadia group plunges into Administration” (Retail Gazette, Published 1st December 2020) Accessed 15th December < https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/12/13000-jobs-risk-philip-green-arcadia-group-collapse-administration-topshop-dorothy-perkins-burton/ >
[6] “Support Staff Roles at City Firms Under Threat due to Covid 19” (LawCareers.net, 16th December 2020) Accessed 17th December 2020. < https://www.lawcareers.net/Explore/News/Support-staff-roles-at-City-firms-under-threat-due-to-covid-19-16122020 >
[7] “Support Staff Roles at City Firms Under Threat due to Covid 19” (LawCareers.net, 16th December 2020) Accessed 17th December 2020. < https://www.lawcareers.net/Explore/News/Support-staff-roles-at-City-firms-under-threat-due-to-covid-19-16122020 >
[8] “Support Staff Roles at City Firms Under Threat due to Covid 19” (LawCareers.net, 16th December 2020) Accessed 17th December 2020. < https://www.lawcareers.net/Explore/News/Support-staff-roles-at-City-firms-under-threat-due-to-covid-19-16122020 >
[9] “Support Staff Roles at City Firms Under Threat due to Covid 19” (LawCareers.net, 16th December 2020) Accessed 17th December 2020. < https://www.lawcareers.net/Explore/News/Support-staff-roles-at-City-firms-under-threat-due-to-covid-19-16122020 >
Disclaimer: This article (and any information accessed through links in this article) is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.