Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Employee relationsChange managementLatest NewsHR strategyDownsizing

Policy change promised after law trainees sacked by voice mail

by Guy Logan 15 Jun 2009
by Guy Logan 15 Jun 2009

The HR chief at the international law firm which left phone messages telling trainee solicitors they were being sacked has vowed to change the company’s policy.

Kevin Hogarth, global HR director at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, said he regretted that some trainees learned they were not being retained after HR managers left messages on their answering machines that said: “It’s not good news, but give us a call”.

Only 34 out of 48 solicitors on a two-year internship with the firm were offered permanent jobs because of the effects of the recession. Many were told face-to-face that they would not be kept on, but some were unavailable, despite repeated attempts by the graduate recruitment team in charge of the internships to contact them.

“Members of the HR team left messages, and by the tone of the messages and the words chosen, it was pretty clear that when the trainee solicitors did eventually get in contact, it would not be good news,” Hogarth told Personnel Today. “But in hindsight, leaving an answer-phone message was not a good judgement call by the team involved.

“We wouldn’t choose to do it this way again, so we’re looking at updating our policy to find the most effective way to deliver news to staff about the outcome as soon as possible.”

Hogarth said the department had been placed in a difficult position where on the one hand rumours could circulate the longer it took to track down and inform the solicitors, and on the other the company would appear cold in its manner of informing trainees, albeit in a timely manner.

“We were trying to balance competing concerns of speaking to trainees promptly so they heard the news through official channels instead of finding out the hard way,” he added.

Many trainees are seconded out to clients working in their offices, both in the UK and internationally, but Hogarth ruled out sending HR representatives to those workplaces to ensure the news is broken face-to-face.

The firm employs more than 2,400 lawyers in 28 offices around the world.

Up to 10,000 legal jobs could be lost in the next two years, amounting to more than one in 10 of the country’s 83,000 privately employed solicitors, senior legal figures have warned.

Avatar
Guy Logan

previous post
Vodafone cuts training spend by a quarter
next post
Boots drops out of Ethical Trading Initiative

You may also like

Who is on strike and when?

7 Dec 2023

Toxic culture at Sellafield ‘threatens safety’

7 Dec 2023

Minimum service levels enacted for rail, borders and...

7 Dec 2023

Aldi announces pay rise for 2024

7 Dec 2023

Nationwide reverses ‘work from anywhere’ policy

7 Dec 2023

Hiring talent overseas with simple HR compliance (webinar)

7 Dec 2023

Pay up by two-thirds for ER managers

6 Dec 2023

Religion at work: discrimination is commonplace

6 Dec 2023

BAE Systems embarks on early careers recruitment drive

6 Dec 2023

What is HR’s role in handling ESG-related whistleblowing?

6 Dec 2023

  • How to spot and tackle imposter syndrome in the workplace PROMOTED | Half of all UK adults...Read more
  • BetterMe for Business: How to Build Wellness Culture at Work PROMOTED | Ever encountered a...Read more
  • Global growth with simple HR compliance (webinar) WEBINAR | In an increasingly global marketplace...Read more
  • Talent acquisition: How AI can complement a ‘back to basics’ approach PROMOTED | Artificial intelligence is now...Read more
  • What will it mean to be an HR professional in 2024? (webinar) WEBINAR | As we approach 2024...Read more
  • HR Budget Planning for 2024: Preparing your People Strategy PROMOTED | As organisations continue to adapt...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+