Women legal eagles hitting glass ceiling
New Zealand’s legal industry has made little progress on addressing gender disparity at partner level, a new study reveals.
For a third year, the research conducted by Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA) and law firm recruiters McLeod Duminy, showed that despite women making up the majority in the legal workforce, men still dominate the top position of partner.
Of the 94 New Zealand law firms surveyed, the study found 64 per cent of senior management were women, but less than a fifth were equity partners (share in the profits of the firm), McLeod Duminy recruiter Kirsty Spears said.
The study also looked at wages, flexibility of work and the rate of employment in the legal market.
More law firms are offering bonus payments as part of the compensation mix, but these are generally offered exclusively to lawyers and executive staff.
Spears said an individual approach to bonuses may disadvantage women, because they tend to be team players, while men tend to look after their own career first. She said this could lead to unintended pay disparity.
President of ALPMA and general manager at law firm Lowndes Jordan, Sheryll Carey, said awarding bonus payments to all staff could pose an opportunity for workplaces to create a culture for team-work.
There is a growing perception of the gender-based pay gap reducing both at the partner level and in the wider industry.
Flexible working hours is growing in popularity in the legal industry.
Carey said the vast majority of firms had adopted this, but the few firms that didn’t see flexible working hours in their future are ‘‘going to lose the battle for employee hearts and minds’’.
‘‘In a highly competitive market, they may struggle to retain quality staff, let alone make themselves an attractive destination for new talent,’’ she said.
The industry however, showed continued mobility in the legal industry with more than half expecting to hire new staff.