Cover story
Work-life
balance is key Managing partner of law firm Brachers shares her passions for equal rights, keeping the team informed and encouraging us to be kind to each other Lockdown and the speedy closure of the company office presented no real problem for Jo Worby’s legal team, many of whom had enjoyed the benefits of home working for months. “We already had a flexible working policy for our staff,” says Jo, the managing partner at Brachers LLP, whose head office is in Maidstone. “We offered employees the opportunity to work from home if they wanted to and although not everyone took it up, when lockdown was imminent we were able to move quickly to get it completed.” An earlier IT transformation project meant all lawyers and managers already had their own laptops, or tablets. Staff were also allowed to pick up any additional office equipment they needed, then everyone settled down for the long haul. It has been a mixed experience, but Jo says feedback is generally positive. “I have long felt it is vital to get work-life balance right,” she tells me via a conference call. “We had to act quickly to pull everything together, but it seems to have worked for most people. Now we have to look at how we continue, as lockdown is eased.” Brachers’ business continuity team has met daily
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We already had a flexible working policy for our staff › Jo Worby with Partner Lee May, who
heads up Brachers’ new Canterbury branch
August/September 2020 | www.southeastbusiness.com
throughout the pandemic and regularly updates staff on any new procedures. Jo explained: “We have worked to make better use of our intranet to communicate with staff. I have recorded video blogs and we have had town hall forums, where staff can ask questions on the latest developments and plans. “Socially, we have run all-staff Zoom quizzes and teams have met for virtual activities such as gin-tasting classes. We also held our traditional barbecue, with a maximum of 30 staff outdoors, while those who worked from home were sent a Deliveroo voucher on the day and encouraged to have a virtual lunch with their team.” It’s very clear Jo has pride in – and affection for – her staff. Marketing executive Chloe Whittaker, who joins us on the call, agrees it’s a great company to work for. In September, Jo will mark her 29th anniversary with Brachers, which she joined after graduating in law from Liverpool. She was brought up in Norfolk, the daughter of a senior police officer and a nurse, who encouraged her and her twin sister to think independently and be compassionate. “We had a great childhood, attending a secondary state boarding school about 25 miles from home because dad’s job meant he had to move around the county a lot and he didn’t want to interrupt our education. Mum worked shifts and was very busy in the community, supporting charities and being a magistrate. It gave me a very strong sense of helping others, which I’ve tried to pursue in my adult life.” As well as her busy career, Jo and her husband (a technical director in the healthcare sector) are bringing up a son, who will be 10 at the end of August. In lockdown, they both took a share in
