Balance for Better

The great big balancing act

I feel very fortunate to work at a firm that is committed to gender equality. While I’m acutely aware of the particular challenges that many women face when establishing a career in law, I’m often reminded of the similar hurdles that we all face as parents when trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

While we all might want fulfilling careers, I’ve never been the type of person who wants to be on the last train home on an all-too-regular basis.

Conveniently for me, Jersey doesn’t actually have any trains. Perhaps more conveniently, balancing the pressures of making it happen for our clients with potty training my youngest (!) is something I feel increasingly more in control of – and, I’m pleased to report, so is my youngest!

Getting the balance right can be tricky, but proper planning and an understanding employer really does make all the difference. It certainly helps working at a firm where flexibility is the rule, rather than the exception.

I rarely arrive at work at the standard 9am. I’m often at my desk early with a view to a prompt exit for bedtime stories – or a cheeky catch-up with my brother over a beer. Alternatively, I’ll arrive at some time post-9am, after making the lunches for my girls and doing the school run.

What I really value about Mourant is the understanding that this is part of life, and that it’s important. My wife’s work as a psychological therapist – with occasionally inflexible hours and long-weekend training courses – means that I sometimes need to squeeze my working hours into a pattern that fits around my immediate family.

We have the technology and, more importantly, the progressive understanding as a firm to embrace that for everyone. And that means not forgetting those who maybe don’t have children, but still have to balance work with husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, fiancé(e)s, parents, in-laws, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles (to whom we might be indifferent at best, but who are visiting Jersey for the only time in 30 years)... even the beloved family pet who needs to be walked at lunchtime.

So, for the dog’s sake at the very least – but more likely for all of us – we all need to keep getting better at getting the balance right.