Editor’s note: This is part of a series of stories at BizTimes.com taking a deep dive into how industries and areas of life have changed in the five years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. Opinions remain divided on the health of workforce culture amid the rise of remote work during the COVID-19
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Susan Lovern[/caption]
Von Briesen’s main office, located at 411 E. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee, houses over 200 employees across four floors within the 30-story building. On any given day, roughly 70% of the staff are working in the office, with the other 30% working from home as part of von Briesen’s hybrid work model, a policy that was introduced during the pandemic.
“I think that our people really appreciated the flexibility to use remote work when they needed to, as long as client needs were being met,” said Lovern.
Prior to the pandemic, von Briesen’s limited remote work policies were catered to fit the needs of the attorneys. Von Briesen’s staff was primarily in-office with occasional remote work, which was often situational. In the likeness of companies across the nation, von Briesen pivoted to fully remote work for 10 months during the pandemic, with the exception of a small set of employees whose job tasks could not be done remotely. Once the COVID vaccines became available, the company pivoted again, requiring certain staff to be on-site a minimum of four days per week, and professionals a minimum of three.
The current policies align with those that were instated when employees returned after the 10-month shutdown. Each department has discretion, however, to change the policy to accommodate the needs of its employees and clients.
“We treat our team members as professionals and we allow them to make those decisions within the structure that we provide them,” Lovern said.
To bring work back to the office, von Briesen introduced several engagement opportunities to build community amongst its employees.
While the company has not moved or added additional infrastructure to host employee gatherings, von Briesen has added several events ranging from wellbeing activities to chili cook-offs, Brewers’ opening day luncheons and NCAA March Madness theme days.
“Whether it’s special programming or special events, we're more conscientious about putting on programming and events to bring people together,” Lovern said.
Fears over a lack of personal connection and collaboration plague many workspaces in the new era of remote work. In addition to von Briesen’s new engagement activities, Lovern believes that the office remains a primary space to build community, form friendships, meet people with common interests and have human interaction. A small minority of von Briesen employees prefer a fully remote work setting, less than Lovern can count on one hand, she said. The greater majority enjoy having an office and prefer to work from it.
Within the law industry, several technological adjustments to the workflow made von Briesen more efficient in its day-to-day tasks. Lawyers and associates learned to use new technology and remote meeting software like Zoom to better manage mediations and avoid extra travel time. Still, certain transactions and mediations are better done in person, Lovern said.
“You don’t get the same human connection,” she said.
In addition to increased efficiency with its clients, von Briesen’s transition to remote meetings helped the company’s seven branches between Milwaukee and Chicago communicate more effectively. The firm continues to use the new technologies although the majority of its staff are working from the office.
As per the future of von Briesen’s remote work arrangements, Lovern says the company will need less office space as a result of learned efficiency during the pandemic and a new era of paperless business. The company will continue to have a major real estate footprint despite changes in the industry, however.
Milwaukee-based financial services company