Logo

Jobless need not apply

Published: Oct 02, 2009

 Law       

Following up on last week’s story about discrimination against the unemployed, RollOnFriday today reports not only that “there is blatant and widespread discrimination throughout the City against lawyers who have been made redundant,” but also that American firms may be the worst culprits.

Complains one RoF reader:

As a banking / finance lawyer made redundant in December last year and still searching for full time employment, I can categorically confirm that a number of firms, all US in my experience, will only consider candidates in full time employment".

Such practices, if true, will hardly do much to boost the overall image of US firms in the City. In April, noting the declining revenue of many American firms in the UK, The Lawyer suggested that, “after such a bad year—and an even worse one predicted—US firms may struggle to remain committed to the London market.” Who needs ‘em, shrug some Brits. Although UK lawyers have frequently complained about the disparity in pay between American and British firms, RoF cites a recent GRS Kinsey Allen compensation survey revealing that a majority of lawyers— “a whopping 82 percent”— “wouldn’t move to a US firm even for more wedge.”

- posted by vera

***