Do I Really Need to Go to Work This Week?
December 30, 2008 by Sweet Hot Counsel
Q: As of January 1, I’ll be a first-year at a “big firm” on the east coast. I started in November and it has been completely dead since I started. Technically, the firm is open every day this week except for New Year Day itself. But no one’s around—all the partners seem to be gone for the holidays and my floor is pretty much empty. My question: Do I really need to show up this week? I don’t have any special plans, per se, but it seems stupid just to come in, do nothing, bill zero hours and then leave. The only thing is, I have no hours and nothing lined up for the new year, and the firm keeps telling us to check in with people and be generally available in case anything comes up. I don’t want to miss out on anything that may come up this week or seem like a slacker, but it seems like no one’s around to see me either way. Is it normal to just bail the week between Christmas and New Year’s if everything’s this dead?
A: Stay home. That’s the short and sweet version. Now, with a little elaboration: Your instincts for wanting to get work are on track—at least if you actually want to stay employed at the firm. That said, even when the economy’s booming, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is historically dead at firms all over the place. People with kids are home with the kids. People without kids are home…happy that they don’t have kids. People who have made their hours don’t need—or necessarily want—more. People who haven’t made their hours aren’t going to make them in three or four days. Sure, there’s always a deal or two closing right on December 31, and you’ll see associates running around here and there, but other than that, it’s calm. And this year, in this horrid economy, the chances of some sweet billion-dollar deal coming down the pike and getting staffed up on December 31 are somewhere between zero and…zero. (And the chances of you, an unknown stub associate, getting staffed on one are less than that.)
So, make sure your BlackBerry’s charged and at the ready—if a senior associate or partner reaches out to you for some reason, respond ASAP (obvs). But other than that, if you’re going to sit at a desk and do nothing but surf the Internet, might as well do it from home—no need rack up business casual dry cleaning charges for it, at least not this week. So, kick back and save the self-pimping and worrying about hours for when they really starting counting again…in a couple of days.
Good luck—and happy new year!
Need advice? Email our Sweet Hot Counsel at counsel@sweethotjustice.com.
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I’ll be working on Dec. 31. And 30th. And Jan. 1. Stop whining. If you can’t figure out when to come to work, you probably won’t have that problem for longer anyway.
Yes, I will be working, because I have to and also because I am hoping that Julie will write back giving me the green light to call her –or tell me I can call the Ferkettes and meet her there. I’m finally back–it’s good to be a lawyer these days when we get some respect. Thanks, Uncle Eb for telling me to keep plugging.
I recommend a compromise position - go, but bring your personal laptop, sneak onto the firm’s wireless internet in the conference rooms, and then do shopping, or look on perezhilton or whatever girls do. That should work just fine.
This isn’t sarcasm. Its good to look like you’re at work and at the ready. Besides, if they need you, they’re going to WALK by your office, not (1) email, (2) explain it in brief on the phone once you call and (3) explain it again once you drive to work, where you, achem, aren’t… they’re going to just walk by.
So, just fake it till you make it.
3/4 of the battle is just looking like you’re working….its all smoke and mirrors. just show up and let them see you and hope when it comes time for layoffs, they remember your pretty face.