Salans has become the latest firm to propose a four-day week for its London staff, while the firm has also kicked off a redundancy consultation that could see its City headcount reduced by 7%.

The firm today (23 March) began a two-week consultation today which is expected to result in 13 redundancies, with five lawyers and eight support staff set to be laid off..

Associates and staff are also being consulted on plans to implement a four-day week, which would see salaries and benefits cut accordingly. The reduced week will be a voluntary arrangement, provided that there is sufficient take-up from staff.

Alternatively, the firm has offered staff the opportunity to take a sabbatical of up to six months at 30% of their current salary.

All of the cost-saving measures only affect Salan's London staff, and partners are not subject to any of the proposals. The firm's City office has a total of 178 members of staff.

Salans' London managing partner Howard Cohen said: "As the credit crisis has turned into a recession in 2009, we have decided to take these steps now in order to minimise the loss of additional people. I am disappointed some members of our close-knit team in London will be leaving the firm. The flexible working proposals are a way of retaining as many people as possible. We hope that together these measures will enable us to avoid having to make further redundancies in the future."

The firm has put a formal outplacement programme in place for staff affected by the redundancies.

Other UK firms to have announced plans to implement a four-day week include Norton Rose and Charles Russell.