Camerons cuts 73 jobs as consultation closes

CMS Cameron McKenna has completed its redundancy consultation, laying off 73 London staff earlier this month (8 June).

The cuts come as the firm prepares to implement its flexible working scheme in the City from the beginning of next month, after 96% of staff opted into the programme.

Camerons launched its redundancy consultation in May, with the firm warning that 80 jobs were at risk. Of 73 redundancies, 33 were voluntary. Support staff was most affected, with 26 fee earners losing their jobs, of which 16 took voluntary redundancy.

No additional incentive was offered to those taking voluntary redundancy. Instead, all will receive between one and one-and-a-half week’s pay (with those aged over 40 receiving the bigger package) for each year served with the firm, in addition to salary during the notice period.

Separately, from next month the firm will start putting some staff and fee earners onto either four-day weeks or sabbaticals as a means to further cut costs.

Nearly all staff have agreed to take an additional two weeks’ unpaid leave, translating into a pay cut of around 4%. When used within the corporate department, most lawyers on reduced hours will take a four- to six-week sabbatical at 30% of pay, while non-transactional practice groups will put more emphasis on placing some lawyers onto four-day working weeks at 85% of pay.

Staff will be given two weeks’ notice of a four-day week and three weeks’ notice for a sabbatical.

Camerons declined to specify how many staff will have reduced hours imposed on them from next month.

CMS Cameron McKenna on the Legal Week Wiki