How law firms lure and keep staff with gyms, cash and other perks
No-cost cafes, free gym memberships and $1000 ‘thank you’ bonuses. Here’s what some of Australia’s top law firms have on offer to attract and retain quality talent.
No-cost cafes, free gym memberships and $1000 ‘‘thank you’’ bonuses. Cultural leave, insurance discounts and salary sacrificing options.
These are just some of the work perks offered to lawyers employed by the nation’s top firms, as they look to attract and retain quality talent.
Firms quizzed as part of The Australian’s Legal Partnerships Survey said employees were offered a suite of perks that benefited all ages and genders, as well as generous salaries and bonus options.
“We are committed to attracting and retaining the best lawyers in the market,” Ashurst head of region Lea Constantine said. “There are a number of ways we do this. Of course competitive salaries and bonuses are important, but we also offer a range of benefits.”
This includes perks such as 26 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave, subsidised gym memberships, flexible working options, cultural leave, referral bonuses and a global mobility program. Ms Constantine said the “strongest attraction” for Ashurst lawyers was the ability to “work on market-leading matters”.
“As a top tier global law firm, our lawyers often work on large, multi-jurisdictional issues with Australian and international clients,” she said. “We provide opportunities for our lawyers to work in other jurisdictions through our global mobility program as well as secondment opportunities with clients.”
Pinsent Masons Australia chief Matthew Croagh said the firm offered a range of benefits not only to attract and retain talented lawyers but to “ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of our people”.
“A career in the law can be stressful and demanding so we want to make sure our people are well supported while they are at Pinsent Masons,” he said.
Mr Croagh said the legal jobs market was “highly competitive” and the firm was looking to grow across the Asia-Pacific region over the next five years.
“This means you need to be both an attractive firm for potential recruits and a positive environment for those at the firm,” he said. “There are numerous elements that go into achieving those outcomes and meaningful benefits are one of those elements.”
Pinsent Masons offers employees benefits including bonus and purchased leave, flexible work options, access to ClassPass, loyalty benefits and salary sacrificing.
Maddocks chief executive David Newman said salaries had increased at the firm this year, and had returned to near pre-pandemic levels. “Strong salary increases were given for high levels of performance and at promotion levels. We pay discretionary bonuses for exceptional individuals or financial contribution,” he said, adding that the firm also offers salary continuance, insurance and trauma cover.
Gilbert + Tobin chief executive Sam Nickless said the firm provided bonuses for top performers who beat their KPIs and targets.
“ In addition to individual performance bonuses, this year we provided all of our people who were permanently employed by G+T a $1000 G+T Thank You Bonus for their contribution to the success of G+T for 2024,” he said.
“We continue to focus on individual and professional development for our people. Everyone will have their own individualised development plan and development goals for each year.”
Arnold Bloch Leibler managing partner Henry Lanzer said alongside competitive salaries the firm offered a suite of other financial benefits, including “a bonus program designed to acknowledge and reward lawyers and support staff who demonstrate exceptional performance and dedication”. “These bonuses are awarded based on individual contribution and overall impact, ensuring that excellence is consistently recognised,” he said.
“We also offer generous parental leave, an all-day no-cost cafe, no-cost gym memberships, recruitment referral fees, service recognition bonuses, fully covered postgraduate study fees and a range of non-financial benefits.”
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