More than half (54%) of law firms in the Legal 100 provide staff with online flexible benefits, according to research by HR in Law and Portus Consulting.
The HR in Law Flexible benefits survey 2013, found that respondents value total reward statements (TRS) more than any other part of a flexible benefits package.
Respondents that offer employees an online flexible benefits plan said they are better placed to offer discount schemes, buying and selling holiday, dental insurance, travel insurance, critical illness insurance and payroll giving.
The research also asked law firms outside of the Legal 100 about online flexible benefits. It found that just under half of respondents said they will review the possibility of providing flexible benefits in the near future, while around a quarter already provide a scheme.
Stuart Gray, chief executive officer at Portus Consulting (pictured), said: “In our last survey in 2008, just under 15% of Legal 100 firms provided flexible benefits online. In just a few years, this has soared to 54%.
“It certainly won’t stop there. Most of the remaining respondents in the Legal 100 are also saying they plan to provide online flex in the near future. So it’s definitely becoming the norm at this level.
“With online flex, you can engage staff from day one and keep them engaged [because] they have to log on to update their choices annually or when a life event occurs.”
Rob Hind, chairman of HR in Law and head of HR at Macfarlanes, added: “Law firms are, at last, responding to the demands of different generations of employees.
“Driven by HR-led compensation and benefits policies and benefits packages that are easy to understand, law firms are realising that they can achieve differentiation and market position in a competitive sector.”