Staff at JMK Solicitors, Northern Ireland’s number one Personal Injury practice, took remote working across Europe this year, as they continue to prioritise staff safety and wellbeing.
JMK Solicitors has a burgeoning reputation for focusing on staff wellbeing and work-life balance.
Earlier this year, the legal firm with offices in Belfast and Newry, hit the headlines after announcing a workweek reduction for all staff.
The 20% workweek reduction saw staff moving from a 37.5-hour workweek to 30 hours with no reduction in pay.
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting workplaces globally, JMK Solicitors has again put staff first.
Izabella Andrzejewska, a member of the JMK Graduate Programme, says she has been impressed by the flexibility and understanding of the JMK team.
She availed of the opportunity to work full time from her home, 1,500 miles away from Belfast.
“I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to work from my family home in Poland during this difficult time.”
The early weeks and months of the pandemic and subsequent national lockdown were hard for Izabella, isolating away from her family in a different country.
“After spending months in isolation here in Northern Ireland, I asked our team in JMK if it would be possible for me to take the computer and work for a couple of weeks from Poland,” she explains.
To her delight, she says, they agreed without hesitation.
“After a few days my partner and I were all packed and ready to fly home,” she explains.
Izabella says being able to work from home and in her home country was great
“I was able to spend amazing quality time with my family and friends that I missed very much during the early days of the pandemic.”
Expressing gratitude at the decision to be able to work remotely, Izabella adds, “It was very thoughtful of JMK to let me work from Poland, and I could not be happier.”
She added, “JMK Solicitors really do make their people their priority.”
Head of Operations and HR at JMK Solicitors, Michelle Murphy, said that the legal firm proudly focuses on staff wellbeing.
“We’re delighted that Izabella could work from home surrounded by her family and friends.
At JMK Solicitors, we understand the need for a work-life balance and staff wellbeing.
It’s why we introduced the 20% workweek reduction, and it’s why we always try to facilitate staff where possible.
We have over 60 staff, and we believe that improved quality of life for each member of the team is vital to our ongoing success,” she adds.
JMK’s reduced workweek was in place before the coronavirus pandemic arrived and Michelle says early planning and being a forward-thinking organisation has made a move to remote work relatively easy.
“Thankfully, we had already gone paperless before the pandemic and had all the infrastructure in place to transition smoothly to working from home.”
Staff at JMK Solicitors have proven they can work fewer hours and achieve the same great results.
And now they’ve proven that they can work anywhere in Europe and still maintain the same excellent productivity.
Michelle added, “We hope Izabella and all of our staff stay safe with their families during this challenging time.”
JMK Solicitors are Northern Ireland’s Number 1 Personal Injury Specialists. With a team of over 100 people including a team of personal injury solicitors, we assist clients all over Northern Ireland. If you have suffered a personal injury, been in a road traffic accident, or had an accident at work, contact our team for a free consultation.
Call us today on 028 9032 0222 or email us law@jmksolicitors.com
