Hybrid vs remote working: the two are very different, so which is right for you? 

Eliot Hibbert, CEO & Founder

Estimated read time: 2 Minutes

Hybrid vs remote working: the two are very different, so which is right for you? 

Post pandemic, hybrid working has taken root in the professional services market where work lends itself to being carried out from home. In a tight labour market, there is anecdotal evidence that many candidates will not even consider a position unless it comes with the freedom to work remotely some or all of the time.  

 It’s estimated* that around 10% of graduate workers are now working almost entirely from home while one in three of the rest have some form of hybrid working. To put it another way, about a quarter of all working days are now done remotely (from home or at another location away from an office) – a five-fold increase on pre-Covid levels. 

*See Paul Johnson’s recent article in The Times, 22 May 2023 

Hybrid working and remote working are different things 

Hybrid working and remote working are often conflated in discussions around working practices, but the two are different. Any conditions placed on a remote role by an employer transforms it into a hybrid one. 

In the legal market, a requirement for two or three days in the office with the remainder of the week at home is common. There are variations, for example, whether people have to commit to fixed days or are free to choose which days they work on an ad hoc basis. However, for most lawyers, in most law firms, the era of not going into the office at all is over.  

While many people value the balance between some face-to-face contact with colleagues and some time spent at home (saving time and money on the commute), which they get from hybrid working, others are happier with full-time remote working – we’re all different! 

At Nexa it’s up to you 

At Nexa, we don’t put any restrictions on how our consultants want to work, they really are free to work how they want to. We recognise that this may very well change over time or at different times of the year. There are no billing targets or minimum hours requirements. 

Our onboarding process is entirely remote so consultants who want to join us are not constrained by geography, all they need to get going with us is a phone, a laptop and an internet connection. 

For those who want to spend some time in an office, we provide access to our WeWork spaces. 

While we are proud of our strong community of supportive lawyers, how you decide to access that (if you want to) is down to you. There are also plenty of social opportunities if you want them, but no obligation to join in!  

Ready to find out more? 

If you’re interested in finding out a bit more detail about life as a consultant lawyer and what we can offer you at Nexa, check out our careers pages here or, have a look at our brochure. For a confidential, no obligation chat, contact David Roth.