As we have covered in this space before, women lawyers have been particularly affected by the pandemic. They are more likely to leave the workforce and to deal with burnout because of increased home/work responsibilities.

In Law 360, attorneys for Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart shared advice for reducing the pandemic’s impact on gender equity.  

• Job sharing: Consider letting two employees share the workload -- and the salary -- that typically goes to one employee. This strategy could also be an alternative to layoffs and allow employees to stay until the economy improves. 

• Offer the same parental benefits to women and men: Any potential to work reduced hours should be offered to any parent. An emphasis of parental benefits toward women can lead to a less level playing field. 

• Use the pandemic as an excuse for an audit: Are there lingering pay issues and wage gaps between attorneys and staff? Do you need to push for more specific achievements for deciding bonuses? This is a good time to re-evaluate everything.