In the 2015 Legal Week Intelligence employee satisfaction survey, which questioned 2,076 fee earners in 16 UK, City and international firms, 63 per cent of respondents were satisfied with their work/life balance and just 17 per cent were dissatisfied. Satisfaction levels for the other most important criteria were extremely high: 94 percent for quality of work, 93 per cent for quality of clients and 88 per cent for the reputation of the firm’s practice area in which they operate.

Management problems

In contrast, while 98 per cent of employees rate feeling valued as one of the most important aspects of the workplace, only 70 per cent were satisfied with how valued they are at work, with 14 per cent dissatisfied. Furthermore, while most firms have taken strides in diversity over recent years, 12 per cent express dissatisfaction with their firm’s progress. But the single greatest management problem is the perception that promotion/progression opportunities aren’t equally available for all: 21 per cent view this as area of dissatisfaction.

Bonus scheme concerns

Unsurprisingly, remuneration is a key motivator. Although satisfaction with current salary levels (61 per cent) heavily outweighs dissatisfaction (23 per cent), bonus schemes (or the absence of them) attract the highest level of unhappiness among all criteria in the report: 38 per cent are dissatisfied and only 33 per cent are satisfied. This remains an area that some firms need to address for their overall remuneration packages to remain competitive. Source: Legal Week