As a Firm, we recognize the inherent challenges involved in balancing high-quality legal practice with life outside of work. These challenges are often magnified for attorneys with children, as we know from experience — more than half of the Firm’s partners and lawyers are parents.
To address work-family needs, the Firm has an expanded Flexible Work Arrangements Program. We offer our attorneys a wide range of flexible-work options, including: reduced-hours schedules, telecommuting, and job-sharing in appropriate cases. At any given time, we have approximately 20 attorneys on flexible work arrangements under the program. Simpson Thacher also allows Time Out Leaves, enabling eligible lawyers to take unpaid absence from the Firm lasting one to three years. A Time Out Leave permits a lawyer to devote an extended period to family responsibilities.
We also endeavor to provide lawyers with substantial support in the critical months following the arrival of a new child. Attorneys returning from a parental leave are permitted to work on a reduced schedule without any salary impact for a one month period to ease the transition back to work. The Firm also maintains wellness rooms for new mothers to facilitate their transition back to work. Additionally, we offer back-up childcare for employees in our U.S. offices through Bright Horizons, a national day care center, as well as temporary in-home child and eldercare services. Please see the “Compensation and Benefits” section of this site for more information on our parental leave policy.