Ask Ash: Grounded – no work travel!

Prior to the pandemic hitting, my role involved frequent travel both to London and abroad. Although I didn’t always enjoy being away from home, I am now really missing the variation and lifestyle this part of my role afforded me. Unfortunately, our firm is now looking to minimise such travel in future despite the potential relaxation of restrictions. I’m therefore feeling down at the thought of being confined to one permanent place of work, and at the realisation that this could well be how things are in the future.

A degree of travel was, prior to the pandemic, a normal expectation for most jobs, even if this just meant the obligatory commute to work. It seems you were fortunate in having a degree of variety built into your role with potentially more glamorous travel in addition.

However, with the greater focus on environmental issues, such travel was already inevitably being pushed to be reviewed by employers; and it would seem that the pandemic has merely helped to speed up this review and highlighted the benefits of being able to work online from home, without the need to hop on a plane.

The lasting legacy from this pandemic is likely to include greater flexibility in terms of working practices, as we have all managed to demonstrate that, certainly for office based work, we don’t need to be in the office physically in order to work effectively. Therefore try to focus on some of the positive implications of this new era too, especially as it seems that staying local may still be the safer, healthier option for the time being.

“Ash” is a solicitor who is willing to answer work-related queries from solicitors and other legal professionals, which can be put to them via the editor. Confidence will be respected and any advice published will be anonymised.

Please note that letters to Ash are not received at the Law Society of Scotland. The Society offers a support service for trainees through its Education, Training & Qualifications team. Email legaleduc@lawscot.org.uk or phone 0131 226 7411 (select option 3).