Law firm’s holiday bid to keep women

One of the City's biggest law firms is urging its employees to take extra paid holiday in an attempt to keep its women partners.

Allen & Overy found female staff were quitting at the point of being made partners because of worries over juggling work and children.

Now the firm, which took on mostly women graduates last year, says all partners can opt to work a four-day week, or full-time with an extra 52 days' holiday on top of the annual 30-day allowance.

Partner Geoff Fuller said the firm wanted to avoid having to choose from "an ever-decreasing pool of talent".