The Covid diaries: Day 27 - Let the Sunshine In

A daily fly-on-the-wall blog about running a legal business during the Covid-19 crisis.

By Darren Isaacs - 23 April

Let the Sunshine In

This isn't a diary entry about sunshine at all, it's actually about hair. Hair and clothing.

Why the title? Well, as annoying influencers on Instagram say, "if you know, you know".

More specifically, today's diary is about our general appearance at work now that we are all Zoomers, including "but not limited to"* hair and clothes. [*once a lawyer, always a lawyer].

I joined a Zoom meeting of lawyers in SME city practices last night, to chat about how we are all getting on with the transition to home-working. One of the topics that came up is how our clients are getting to see a whole new side to us. And how lovely that is.

You see, lawyers tend to have this reputation for being a bit on the formal and conservative side. We wear suits and ties (at least the men) and carry serious-credential briefcases.

But the transition to online-based practices is a great leveler. Our clients are now seeing us with dodgy big hair (or some even dodgier home haircuts), and wearing outfits that are *fine* but that we wouldn't typically rock into to a business meeting wearing. Then there is the inevitable interruptions of home-life: children, pets, street activity, and Amazon deliveries - all at the most inopportune time.

But actually it's refreshing. Our clients are in the same boat. We are all making do and just getting on with it. One of my clients was starving during a meeting the other day so she carried on with her soup whilst we spoke. And why not? I didn't care, multi-tasking is an enviable skill. And why bother putting on a tie and suit jacket to have a video call which is so obviously just taking place in someone's front room or kitchen? We aren't newsreaders.

I do have my limits though. One of our Zoom call attendees was enjoying a cocktail in his garden wearing the kind of pink shorts that are not normally seen outside of Sloane Square. I'm not sure if it was the outside space (which I have none of) or the shorts that upset me the most.

If you would like to read our Covid diaries starting from day 1 please click here.