Q. I am bothered by what seems like a hypocritical attitude with some of my partners. We tell our associates that some pro bono work is considered the same as regular billable work, meaning they will be credited when considered for partnership. At a recent partnership meeting, we were debating whether a particular associate would make partner. She had spent hundreds of hours on a high-profile death case. I was shocked when a partner got up and said, “Her hours aren’t good. We all know this death case was soft time.” I went crazy. I said, “We’re telling them it’s the same as billable time and it’s not.” Partly because I raised a fuss the final decision was put off for the time being, but I fear that she’s doomed. I cannot believe that we would willingly foster two sets of rules, but that’s what’s happening.
A. Two sets of rules is one of the biggest complaints people have in any workplace. When the rules are supposed to work one way and in fact work another, or when some people get favorable treatment and others get shafted, cynicism takes over. Although there is always a gap between our best intentions and practice, a yawning chasm like you’re talking about is one of the single biggest demotivators in any workplace. Trust disappears in a flash.
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