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FEATURE 12 www.canadianlawyermag.com CROSS EXAMINED playing field because there is no real risk. Your people talk to each other and ask each other how much the other person is making. And if they perceive unfairness, they lose trust in you as an employer. Once the trust is lost, you're going to lose talent." Another groundbreaking move was implementing a four-day workweek. While the term can be dismissed as a corporate buzzword, Yousefi worked hard to ensure it resulted in more productivity, not less. "The biggest thing I learned was that it's not a fairy tale," Yousefi says. "I've been laughed at. People ask me, 'What profession do you think you are in? We work seven days a week.' I totally get it, but I am here speaking from facts and stats, and since we have implemented it, we've tripled our size, doubled our revenues, and almost doubled our profits." She says the impact of this policy transcends generational divides. The policy has attracted talent across career stages, from those seeking to balance a growing family with work to seasoned veterans. "For lawyers who have worked more than 20–25 years, they have paid their dues, perfected their career, made a lot of money, and have a big name," Yousefi says, but they are attracted to the flexibility. For younger lawyers, Yousefi stresses that this does not mean they benefit immediately from this policy. "I don't hire a law student who comes from law school and says, 'The reason I've applied to you is because I can get to work four days a week.' When you come out of law school, you better pay your dues, and you better work hard." However, the policy does help attract talent at all levels. "Our retention rates have skyrocketed because of the applications we get." Yousefi says YLaw's application of a four- day workweek to family law is particularly significant. "Family law is one of the most challenging areas to implement the four- day workweek because of the amount of litigation, short or no notice, abductions, sexual abuse, and all sorts of stuff that is so urgent," she says. Despite these challenges, the firm has demonstrated that such a model can work, even in the most volatile legal fields. Addressing mental health, particularly in family law, is another area that Yousefi doesn't shy away from. "Family law creates a lot of mental health issues," she acknowledges. She underscores the importance of a firm's responsibility to ensure that lawyers are equipped to handle the emotional demands of their practice area. For young lawyers, setting long-term goals can help them get through the day- to-day grind. "You don't have to fix family law or their career, but you must give them hope. And that's called career pathing, which is that I feel is missing in a lot of firms, where as soon as an associate comes in, there's a target." "People ask me, 'What profession do you think you are in? We work seven days a week,' [but] since we have implemented [the four-day workweek], we've tripled our size, doubled our revenues, and almost doubled our profits" • SALARY TRANSPARENCY: YLAW'S APPROACH Lawyers in their first five years of call are part of a salary uniformity structure Partners and associates with a few years of experience can choose between a split-fee arrangement or a salary Remote lawyers are paid a premium due to savings in overhead The bonus plan includes several categories for its calculation: • Call years 1–9 categories include initiatives and innovation, client management and satisfaction, engagement, growing business and advancing brand, and high performance in exceeding collections • Call years 10+ categories include initiatives and innovation, mentorship, growing business and advancing brand, and high performance in exceeding collections