The American labor market is in a weird place right now. It seems like every time I turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper, I see stories about the shift in our labor culture. There are complaints on both sides. People who were fired or furloughed during COVID-19, for example, are having trouble reentering the workforce, while employers are struggling with a massive labor shortage.
I’ve even seen businesses claim that people just aren’t willing to work like they used to. Fortunately, my personal experience has been the opposite! I’m proud to say that everyone on my team here at ADLG — including our attorneys, paralegals, assistants, and administrative staff — worked harder than ever during COVID-19 and continues to do so.
Every day, I’m impressed by the way my team takes ownership of the health and well-being of our firm and of our clients. They care so much and it shows in everything they do. Labor Day is coming up this month, and I feel lucky that instead of venting frustrations with the labor market, I’ll be celebrating it with the best team I’ve ever had! It’s crazy to think that when I started this firm, I was all alone. Ever since I convinced our first attorney, Jeanette, to join forces with me, things have continued to improve.
Today, the talent we have onboard blows me away! We have 16 team members, including seven attorneys. There’s no way we could help as many individuals and families as we do without every one of them.
My employees gave so much to me and ADLG during the pandemic that I feel it’s only right to give something back. I think business owners like me have a duty not to forget the lessons COVID-19 taught us. For me, that included the lesson that many of my team members are truly mature superstars who can work successfully from home.
With that in mind, I made some changes when I brought the team back into the office. They now have more flexibility and freedom to build their own schedules. If they want to work from home one day a week or a few times a month, they can work with me to make it happen!
I’m comfortable with this new normal because my team has proven they can handle their schedules without letting the needs of our clients or our firm fall through the cracks. Giving them more control is my way of meeting those superstars in the middle and letting them shine as self-managers. Not only is this the right move for everyone, but it was also easy to do because we had already created the work-from home infrastructure and culture of personal responsibility that we needed.
This Labor Day, I’m counting my lucky stars. My team is amazing, and after a year apart, we’re finally (almost always) back together in the office. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
–Sara Khaki
To read more, check out this month’s flipbook.
