O'Melveny Helps New Parents Transition Back to Billing Hours
In what appears to be the first of its kind to hit the legal industry, O'Melveny & Myers has launched Momentum One, a program designed to help new parents engaged in the process of returning to work.
Each parent participant is paired with a transition team that will help navigate the challenge of being a working mother (or father) for the first time, providing guidance and asking pertinent questions.
Apparently it works.
Managed through AbilTo, the program includes a series of video conferences and in-person meetings during which a new parent works with both a licensed clinical therapist and a behavioral coach.
The goal is to understand and adopt new behaviors that promote a practical work-life balance.
Yes, shocking as it may be, it appears as though O'Melveny is promoting a work-life balance.
It probably doesn't hurt that statistics show that providing such services to new mothers could save the firm upwards of $20,000 a pop. New mothers returning to work, on average, cost an employer $11,455 in productivity, $4,500 in turnover, and $4,347 in extra healthcare, according to Forbes.
Then there's the question of yearly lists that designate employers as the most female and family-friendly in the industry.
Some law firms clamor to have a place on these lists, pushing their so-called commitment to work-life balance and other relevant buzzwords.
Is the sudden concern for new parents returning to work merely a marketing ploy? Has O'Melveny set its eyes on Working Mother's 2011 list of Best Law firms for Women?
You be the judge.
Related Resources:
- Work-Life Balance: Can the Greedy Associate Have It All? (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Work-Life Balance: SCOTUS Justices Have Time For Shakespeare (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- The Mindful Lawyer: Can Meditation Help With Your Billable Hours? (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)