How to describe salary, hybrid working and part-time legal roles
Updated: 13 hours ago
Candidates should be able to understand the pay, hours and attendance expectations without guessing. Publish an approved salary range, state whether it is full-time equivalent or actual part-time pay, and explain what hybrid or remote means for the role. Clear terms help candidates decide whether an application is worthwhile.
Set a range you can support
Compare roles with similar responsibilities, practice area, location and level of independence. Use more than one current source, such as a salary guide and comparable advertised roles, and consider internal pay relationships. Separate base salary from discretionary bonus and benefits. Explain what determines position within the range, such as relevant responsibility and experience. Do not describe a range as market standard without checking the comparison.
Part-time pay: show the calculation
Illustrative example: a role has a full-time salary range of €50,000–€60,000 for a 40-hour week. At 24 hours a week, a simple hours-based pro-rata calculation gives €30,000–€36,000 actual annual salary. These figures illustrate presentation, not a salary recommendation. State the agreed weekly hours and working days separately, and explain benefits under the firm’s terms.
Define hybrid and remote accurately
For hybrid roles, state the office location and expected days on site. Explain whether office days are fixed, team-agreed or subject to an initial induction period. For remote roles, state any location restriction and planned attendance for meetings, training or client work. Remote should not imply work from any country if the firm has not approved that arrangement. Avoid advertising flexibility that depends on an undisclosed future decision.
Match workload to hours
A part-time advert should describe what work fits within the contracted hours and how handovers or urgent matters are covered. Consider supervision, client communication and availability on non-working days. Asking for a full-time caseload in fewer hours makes the offer hard to assess. Give candidates a realistic explanation of the support arrangements.
Distinguish employment from consultancy
If the opportunity is a consultancy engagement, describe the proposed scope, expected days and fee basis clearly. Do not mix a daily fee with annual employee salary without explanation. The appropriate contract and status need separate consideration; the advert label alone does not settle them.
Check the listing filters
Before publishing on Pembroke Legal, check that the salary band, full-time or part-time field, contract type and working arrangement agree with the written advert. A clear description cannot compensate for an incorrect filter value. Review the public listing as a candidate would, including on a phone.
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