“How Remote Work Has Improved Access For Those With Disabilities” w/ Marc Z of Marc Z Legal Staffing

Nathan (0s):
Welcome back Radio Entrepreneurs listeners and fans, I’m producer Nathan Gobes filling in for Jeffery Davis again. I’m excited to be back in the studio with the returning veteran, Peter Meyerson author and retired attorney. Welcome Peter.

Peter (15s):
It’s great to be here, Nathan. Thanks for having me.

Nathan (18s):
Good to have you back with us. And here we are with another regular of our show, mark Z of Mark’s illegal staffing. Welcome back, mark.

Marc (26s):
Thanks Nathan. Great to be here. Great to have the presence of Peter Meyerson here today too.

Peter (31s):
And it’s great to see your mark really.

Marc (33s):
Thank you, Peter.

Nathan (35s):
Yeah, we have a strong team here and Monique, you always share some excellent topics with us. What do you want to talk about today?

Marc (43s):
So Nathan, what I thought I would talk to about today with you and Peter are the benefits that the COVID protocols have helped with the disabled in terms of the employment world and in the legal world. As you know, obviously the legal world is a big focus of what our business does in addition to the employment space and a lot of organizations, companies, and even the media really does not look at it in technology changed, not only the opportunities of people that are disabled, but also access to people that are disabled.

Marc (1m 33s):
And I say that, for example, in terms of employment, there are a lot of people that is very, very difficult for them to commute into Boston. And they are really either a talented attorneys, managers, li executive legal assistants and writers, so many talented people, but they happen to be disabled. And even though our country is coming to terms with access in terms of ramps and in terms of other different types of ways, people can have the access to buildings by organizations and companies embracing technology, and the ability to work remote.

Marc (2m 19s):
You have some talented people who have been able to reenter opportunities because they no longer have to physically be in the office. And it started in a minor way with a lot of attorneys and, and writers who could work and then email their stories and then have to come into the office or whatever. But in a bigger picture attorneys who did corporate work, who did real estate work, that didn’t have to try cases, they could now work fully remote where people returnees or executives that got to a certain age in life where now physically they’re disabled in some way.

Marc (3m 10s):
Now they’d still be able to do their job by not having to come in. And technology has helped them not only work from home work efficiently work remotely, but also enabled them not to have that kind of commute. So that’s, that’s part one in the employment world. The other thing we’re finding is litigators are at saying, you know, it’s really hurting our work meaning trial attorneys because we need to go back to the courtrooms pieces are not being tried in court physically. They need to be however, what’s also happening to be talked to litigators.

Marc (3m 51s):
A lot of the clients they represent, they’re now able to have video meetings, whether it’s conferences by a WebEx, by zoo, by meetings, they’re able to do that with their clients. And it’s all considered part of the legal process now without having to go to court. So again, if you’re disabled, in some way you can be on, you don’t have to, a lot of times delay your case. You can have your cases heard promptly, that can be case progression and you don’t have to go through the difficult transportation journey a lot of times to get to court.

Marc (4m 35s):
And that’s been a benefit that is been derived from COVID protocols and will really help going forward these attorneys, these executives, these managers, or even staff in some way, as well as clients of firms and, and organizations where you no longer have to have that community. And they can be, they can be effective in terms of their jobs, have more job opportunities or be able to be properly represented.

Peter (5m 17s):
It’s an interesting process. I mean, you know, what, what I’m curious about is, you know, you represent a gajillion law firms. Is there any cultural pushback from some of these firms today, you know, wanting to have in-person meetings, as opposed to, you know, the zoom, WebEx kind of meeting.

Marc (5m 48s):
There’s always a pushback, Peter, particularly on the smaller company, smaller farm side, they really want to have people in the seats, maybe their technology wasn’t as strong. Maybe they’re a smaller organization, so they really need everybody together and they find it more effective. Now I can tell you, even in my company, I do think it’s more effective when everybody is together because of the synergies. And it’s, you can talk about all different kinds of technology that can work.

Marc (6m 29s):
But at the end of the day, there’s nothing like being in person because it’s a spontaneity. It’s all of a sudden somebody could think of something one second. And it could be the matter of like in my business could be a matter of, oh my goodness, Peter Myerson might be right for this fit in the moment. And our business is a business of, of moments and seconds. Not only of being in touch with Peter Meyerson maybe Peter Meyer, as soon as pending on something, we get them in time. Or maybe we get a, we get an opening that is very time sensitive and it’s just brainstorming and brainstorming.

Marc (7m 9s):
We can set meetings up, like in my company we have, and we’ve got a great team that does it, but there’s nothing that comes spontaneously. Are people seeing something that’s going to jog your memory by seeing something or what we’re working on or whatever it just fact that said, we’ve all learned to work remotely, you know, in terms of doing that. And, and like, my team is going forward, going to have is going to have, we, we always allowed it in some ways. Now on a regular basis can be work working in, in the office and in the hybrid way. And I think that’s what’s happening now that a lot of companies and firms and organizations are really saying, it’s no longer voluntary to come in office.

Marc (7m 54s):
We want you in the office two or three days a week, and they’re setting them up a lot of the younger we’re junior or junior level executives, or do your level. They really actually want to come back, maybe not every day, but they want to be around people. They want to be able to have that synergistic approach at the same time. They don’t want to be there every day. And the smaller organizations, the smaller firms and the companies they’ve had to adjust. They know now, you know, it’s not their first choice, but if we want to attract talent, if we want people to be happy and we want to be progressive, we’re going to have to make those changes.

Peter (8m 38s):
Yeah. You know, it’s, it’s fascinating because it feels to me why it’s creating a framework where people who are handicapped can more easily complained in some sense, you know, if you know, there’s a question for people to come back as opposed to allowing them to work remotely.

Nathan (9m 6s):
Yeah. Yeah. In many ways it seems to the remote work ability is having that option. It’s, it’s almost a form of inclusion, you know, as you said, there’s, you know, many offices are building ramps, you know, elevators, et cetera, just ways for people that have disabilities to access, the building, being able to work from home is I think another, it’s an extension of that. You know, even if they are able to get into the building, as you mentioned, mark, you know, there’s the issue of the travel, just the amount of time that it may take somebody with an, a, with a disability or an injury to, to get into the office. You know, as, as many people know, when, when you get injured, maybe you break your leg or something like that.

Nathan (9m 50s):
Obviously there is some time with that. You’ll need to, you know, stay w you know, not be working because you need to recover. But then there’s also some time where, you know, you may have a cast, but mentally, emotionally, whatever, you’re able and ready to work, but it’s still difficult to get into the office. So having, having remote capability really allows people to, to be more included.

Marc (10m 12s):
Right. I will tell you both of you. I mean, Nathan remembers this, I dunno, Peter, we haven’t seen each other for a while, but I fully tore my Achilles last summer as Nathan knows. And I literally, for about six weeks, I had to have my foot up 90% of the time and I couldn’t move if I had to. And if I had to go into the office and do that commute, it would have probably taken an extra hour out of my day, in addition to the commute back and forth. So that potentially could have been three hours a day. Instead, what I was fortunate to have a great spouse who teach things up, got me one of those breakfast type trays, where I could have my laptop, my, my notebook, and really be productive.

Marc (11m 3s):
Business-wise. And, you know, as Nathan knows, when I would go and see my surgeon during times, it’s like with my crutches, literally not being able to get up on the sidewalk. And, and just in terms of elevators, in terms of different, different things, it really gets you very in tuned to what, what people have to go through and realize how fortunate you are. And it just unfortunate because you have a lot of talented people. And I think COVID with the protocols have helped, and what’s going to happen now because I’ve talked to several organizations, people who have been effective during COVID and working remotely, they’re grandfathering them.

Marc (11m 45s):
They’re not saying you have to come in the office. And then they’re saying, if you have to come in the office, then it won’t be on a regular basis. You know, we’ll make arrangements. We, we do want you to be in tune. And even the people that are aren’t handicapped, the norm that normally wouldn’t be working remotely now because for their job, they actually want to come in. They want people to see their face. They want to be able to be part of the team. So they don’t want to do that every day. But so they’ll do that too. So I think you’re going to have a nice blend, which will work going forward.

Nathan (12m 19s):
Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean, I think we all hate to use the term during COVID, but silver lining, but there is some silver lining here that, that we’ve been able to find. Well, thank you, mark. This has been another excellent mark. The moment if listeners or viewers want to get in touch with you, find out more about mark Z legal staffing or how you can help their firm fill any gaps there they’re experiencing during this great resignation, et cetera. What’s the best way for them to reach you?

Marc (12m 47s):
Well, first of all, Nathan, thank you very much for having me on the show. People can just Google a mark Z M a R C, and the litter Z. We come right up or mark is illegal.com, M a R C Z L E G a l.com or 6 1 7 3 3 8 1 300.

Nathan (13m 6s):
Great. I want to thank you for joining the show. Of course, this was mark C mark Marcy legal staffing. Thanks mark.

Marc (13m 12s):
Thank you, Nathan.

Nathan (13m 15s):
And thank you, Peter, for joining Peter Myerson, as we discussed offline or in a previous interview, you can find your book on Amazon. Is that correct?

Peter (13m 25s):
And find my point call, you have to do is either, you know, do the search bar for Peter Meyerson and my, the book will come up or you can do the name of the book, which is heroes in a different time.

Nathan (13m 38s):
Great. Well, thank you for joining. Thank you both for being on radio entrepreneurs. We’ll be back with more after this break.