The personal injury specialist firm, with offices in Belfast city centre, west Belfast, Newry and Derry, permanently reduced its working hours by 20 per cent — from 37.5 hours to 30 hours — in January 2020 following a two-year pilot project aimed at enhancing work-life balance for staff.

Maurece Hutchinson, co-founder of JMK Solicitors, said: “Making people our priority is one of our core values that we strongly believe in, we have fantastic staff, but we never wanted to be complacent.

“With increasing pressures on individuals in all areas of life, we felt that reduced hours would greatly benefit our employees — and we wanted to take a leading role in implementing this initiative as one of the first employers in Northern Ireland.

“The gift of time is the greatest gift we and any employer can give to their team. Five years on, we are delighted with the positive impact this change has had, not only on our employees but also on our client experience.

“Our client recommendation rate has remained at an outstanding 99 per cent, showing that the quality of our service has remained at the highest level.”

Co-founder Jonathan McKeown added: “This initiative was implemented after a two-year-long research project aimed at improving the quality of life for our team. When we first launched our study in the summer of 2018, there was a real buzz of excitement, and that enthusiasm has continued to this day.

“Having been in operation for over 20 years and as Northern Ireland’s number one personal injury firm for over a decade, we always strive to provide the best possible working environment for our employees.

“By promoting a better work-life balance, we believe we can continue to strengthen our business’s reputation while also improving our clients’ experience.

“Five years on, we remain committed to fostering a workplace where client care and our employee well-being remains a top priority.”

Solicitor Ailis McKeown, who joined the firm in January 2020, said: “In the last five years, working in JMK has afforded me the opportunity to work a four-day week for the same salary and benefits as a five-day working week.

“This has meant first and foremost that I have an enhanced work-life balance, with one weekday available to dedicate to my family and in particular my mother, who at 88 looks forward to our weekly day out. 

“I have also experienced a reduction of stress and improved physical health, with more time to devote to walking and strength training.

“JMK have afforded me flexibility between working in the office and working at home and I have found that this has boosted my productivity and focus on the four days I am working.”