Signs You Aren't Paying Your Paralegals Enough
Jeff Foxworthy may know nothing about paralegal pay, but he knows more than a fifth grader.
He also knows signs that you might be a redneck. So what does that have to do with paying paralegals?
Only this: there are signs when you are being cheap and you should know better than that. So with apologies to Foxworthy, here are signs you are not paying your paralegals enough:
1. Your Boss Flies to Work
Actually, you can credit Tim Sackett (no, not Bob Saget) for these ideas. Sackett is a veteran HR guy, plus he has a sense of humor.
When the CEO commutes by jet, that's a sign the company is not spending enough on rank-and-file employees. It applies to lawyers, too, like these guys who learned a lesson from the IRS.
2. You Promote Too Much
Sackett's signs basically point out that employers need to notice the inequities between paying expenses and paying employees.
For example, he says it's a bad sign if you spend more on marketing your firm as a great place to work than on employment development. Of course, it's hard to correlate the marketing budget with the paralegal head count, but you get the idea.
3. You Spend a Lot on Snacks
This is a hard sign to admit, especially when you look in the mirror. You're not getting fat, but you may be putting more in your pocket than in your paralegals' purses (or man bags).
"Cut that crap out and pay me $10K more per year," says Sackett. "I'll bring in my own Greek yogurt and granola."
Related Resources:
- How Much do Paralegals Make? (U.S. News)
- Lawyers: Need to Focus? Put That Smartphone Away (FindLaw's Strategist)
- Is the Older Generation Holding the Legal Profession Back? (FindLaw's Strategist)