Izabella Andrzejewska

Izabella Andrzejewska, a member of the JMK graduate programme, has availed of the opportunity to work full-time from her home in Poland, around 1,500 miles away from Belfast.

Ms Andrzejewska said: “After spending months in isolation here in Northern Ireland, I asked our team in JMK if it would be possible for me to take the computer and work for a couple of weeks from Poland. After a few days my partner and I were all packed and ready to fly home.”

Michelle Murphy, head of HR at JMK Solicitors, said: “We’re delighted that Izabella could work from home surrounded by her family and friends.

“At JMK Solicitors, we understand the need for a work-life balance and staff wellbeing. It’s why we introduced the 20 per cent workweek reduction, and it’s why we always try to facilitate staff where possible.

“We have over 60 staff, and we believe that improved quality of life for each member of the team is vital to our ongoing success.”

JMK’s reduced workweek was in place before the Covid pandemic arrived and Ms Murphy said early planning had made a move to remote work relatively easy.

She noted: “Thankfully, we had already gone paperless before the pandemic and had all the infrastructure in place to transition smoothly to working from home.”