Slaughter and May to cut 28 secretarial jobs
Slaughter and May is looking to cut some 28 secretarial staff out of a total team of 165 in London with the firm blaming the changing role of secretaries at law firms.
Graham White
Slaughters told staff this morning that it had been reviewing its secretarial resource in London following technological advances that have allowed lawyers to be more independent in how they manage documents and communicate with clients.
A statement sent by the firm today read: “Regrettably, we have come to the conclusion that we will need to reduce our secretarial number.”
The firm expects that some 28 full-time equivalent roles will be cut from the 165-strong pool of secretaries in London. Slaughters aims to complete the redundancies by 31 December. The firm would not comment on the redundancy packages being offered.
According to executive partner Graham White, these will not be the first support staff redundancies made this year. Smaller scale cuts – in single figures - have been made within a couple of the firm’s specialised business services groups within the past months. White declined to comment which groups were affected, however, or on the number of jobs lost.
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Readers' comments (22)
Anonymous | 23-Oct-2012 11:52 pm
I've read all the comments that have been made by various individuals over these redundancies. As a secretary who has put in for voluntary redundancy, I am actually happy to be leaving the firm. I have worked at Slaugher and May for many years, and have always been very happy there. I do not regard it as having been done in a cold hearted way.
We have been anticipating redundancy for the best part of 10 years. There have been many secretaries sitting around doing nothing and the firm has chosen not to make anybody redundant until now, instead going down the natural wastage route and not recruiting for a few years.
As I have been there for a number of years, my considerable payout will last me nicely until it is time for me to retire properly - so I go with a song in my heart and a smile in my lips for this redundancy package which has enabled me to pack up work a few years earlier than I originally intended.
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Anonymous | 19-Dec-2012 1:02 am
Money sloshing about. Bad admin......
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