Linklaters named Top 50 Employer for Women by The Times for ninth Year in a Row

Linklaters has been featured in The Times’ Top 50 Employers for Women 2022 list for a ninth consecutive year. Run by the charity Business in the Community – The Prince’s Responsible Business Network – the Awards recognise those employers taking action and leading the way on workplace gender equality.

This recognition reflects the firm’s sustained commitment to placing diversity, equity and inclusion at the heart of its values and to driving positive and sustainable change. The firm has a substantial gender action plan, embedding policies and initiatives to ensure a supportive environment for women in the workplace, including:

• Helping to support parental transitions – Recognising that having a family can still have a disproportionate impact on a woman’s career, and the support needed for both men and women at this career/ life stage, Linklaters aims to lead the market with its parental leave and support benefits. In addition to the firm’s New Parent Leave policy, which has had a positive uptake, the firm has introduced Adjustment Days – enabling individuals in the run up to, or following the end of, a long period of absence to benefit from having a chance to gently wind down, or build up, their workload – helping to better adjust to the change between work and family leave.

• An agile approach to working patterns and career paths – Agile working is a key aspect of Linklaters’ gender strategy, enabling people to explore agile career paths to suit their individual circumstances.

• Gender targets – Introducing a new global gender diversity target for female partner promotions each year of 40%, an increase from the 30% target which had been in place since 2014. The new and stretching target will ensure the firm keeps up its progress to date and continues to move ultimately towards gender parity. This year, the firm exceeded its 40% gender target for new partner promotions.

• 50:50 gender action plans – Working to create a balanced and sustainable pipeline of female talent at every career level across the firm; requiring each practice to produce a 50:50 gender action plan.
• Continuously ensuring women have greater development and sponsorship opportunities – Through talent programmes, including the firm’s Women’s Leadership Programme for senior associates (started in 2012), and Stepping Forward, a group coaching programme for more junior female associates (started in 2017). In 2022, 88% of women promoted to Partner and 68% of those promoted to Counsel were alumnae of the Women’s Leadership Programme.
• Implementing a global menopause policy – Raising awareness and outlining enhanced support and resources available at the firm for those affected by the menopause.

Aedamar Comiskey, Senior Partner and Chair of Linklaters, comments: “We are delighted to be recognised for our commitment to taking action on gender equality for the ninth year in a row. As a firm, we continue to invest heavily in all aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion – committing to a culture where all individuals feel supported and have the opportunity to realise their ambitions.”