b'PEOPLE| LEGAL SECTOR| 2022SUSTAINABILITY INSIGHTFLEXIBLE WORKING Unsuitable workspaces and competition for available workspaces for those in insecure or shared housing presented other challenges and distractions. For many, the increased load on their internet as multiple people worked or learned remotely caused frustrations and impacted on performance. A significant yet often hidden cost on employees includes: An increase in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety Added pressure on family and personal relationshipsBlurring between work and home time making it difficult to switch offA loss of personal connections with work colleaguesIncreased occupational health issues due to poor home-office ergonomics and work practicesLegal Sector Response AusLSA members have stepped up their monitoring and programs to address the adverse impact of home working on staff members. They are planning to make a future return to the office to be a safe environment that provides options to spend time in the office and work effectively with members of their team who may be continuing to work remotely.New flexible working arrangements and support were common strategies to help staff adapt. Greater flexibility for leave arrangements, additional carers leave, new supporting technology as well relief from billing and productivity targets were some of the strategies employed to help manage the new operating environment.Australian state-based law societies have been active in helping firms to deliver improved flexibility for their practising members. The Queensland Law Society has developed a Flexible Working GroupThe Law Society of New South Wales has published online resources on flexible work The New South Wales Bar Association has a number of resources on its websiteVictorian Women Lawyers have published Flexible Work Protocolsa best practice guide for productive and engaged legal workplaces.The Law Society of Western Australia has adopted the Victorian Women Lawyers Flexible Work Protocols.Comparison of PerformanceAusLSA MembersAll Legal ServicesAccountingAll ProfessionalAustralian Industry Services Policy100% 99% 97% 90% 57%Paid Parental Leave97% 93% 50% 84% 81%Paid Parental Leave - weeks 20 (related to tenure) 13 9 10.7 10Secondary Carers Leave 97% 91% 57% 72% 42%Source: WGEA Comparison tool 2022 AusLSA Member PerformanceAusLSA annual reports have tracked the growing commitment of its members and a capacity to support its employees through flexible working programs and agile working approaches. This is the sixth year in a row where all report respondents have indicated that flexible working policies and programs are in place.Flexible work was initially developed to take pressure off lawyers, provide a greater work-life balance and provide more significant opportunities for employees with broader responsibilities. The COVID experiences with remote working were improved by (among other things) the prior investment in technology, agile working systems and behaviour change. The foundation of technology and work processes were enhanced to find innovative solutions to emerging issues and needs. Another significant improvement to the positive impact of flexible working is greater freedom to mix remote working with frequent visits to the office.Without this preparation, the effects of rolling shutdowns that closed offices and shut national and international borders would have been disastrous for both law firms and clients.Most AusLSA members have shared common experiences from the initial implementation of remote and flexible working arrangements to juggling the other unexpected impact of overcoming home office issues and are in the process of implementing a return to office 26'