Three ways legal firms can support staff wellbeing

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By Anthony Wolny

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By Anthony Wolny

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Recent research found that 71% of the 3000 surveyed lawyers are suffering from anxiety, with the same study also noting rises in stress and depression.

The legal profession has seen unprecedented changes over the last few years, especially regarding employee wellbeing.

Even a decade ago, it wouldn’t be uncommon for law firms to turn a blind eye completely towards wellbeing challenges, with professionals also unwilling to speak up.

Now, the International Bar Association has found that almost 75% of firms currently have measures in place to support staff.

So, with a changing industry dynamic and action already being taken, why are we increasingly seeing concerning stats, such as the ones above?

H3: Why is wellbeing such an issue in law firms?

The high-pressure environment, coupled with demanding workloads and tight deadlines can lead to overwhelming stress.

Staff frequently deal with complex cases that require intense focus and long hours, which can result in exhaustion, poor wellbeing and mental health troubles.

Additionally, the competitive nature of the legal sector means that employees may still hesitate to seek help for their struggles, fearing it could be seen as a weakness.

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H2: Strategies to support staff wellbeing

Whether your firm already has initiatives in place but you want to further optimise how you support people, or this is a completely new area for you, below we've covered three strategies to help support staff wellbeing.

H3 1) Open up the conversation

With the working day so incredibly busy, many staff won't actively take the time to unpack issues they are facing.

As such, you must take action and be the first to start this conversation.

Those with direct reports should host regular 1:1 meetings with staff, providing a dedicated channel for people to voice concerns.

You can also utilise set questions during these 1:1s, helping ensure you uncover any potential issues, asking:

  • What is your current mood?
  • What are your main priorities?
  • Are you facing any blockers?
  • Are there any other topics you wish to discuss?

Having a set structure for these meetings helps remove the onus from employees to raise issues and concerns.

Staff surveys, anonymous feedback sessions and open-door policies can also help you gauge employee morale and address concerns before they escalate.

Employees knowing you’re there for them when they have too much on their plate goes a long way in creating a mindful and positive culture.

H3: 2) Employee benefits: meeting varying generational needs

The workforce dynamic is shifting, becoming increasingly multi-generational.

As such, creating an environment that meets everyone’s needs is tough.

Someone starting their career will have very different needs and goals from a seasoned employee with a family and mortgage.

Your support and benefits on offer should be reflective of this.

Look to offer varied benefit packages, giving staff more power to tackle their unique needs and difficulties.

For example, core benefits such as pensions and healthcare are a given, but allowing employees to choose additional benefits could help ease personal burdens such as private dental care, critical illness coverage or childcare.

Additionally, those early in their careers may gain more from benefits such as gym memberships, company cars, rail passes, financial advice, etc.

You want people to choose what is most meaningful to them, based on their current circumstances.

Top tip: employee surveys are a great way to quickly obtain information on what your people value most at work.

H3: 3) Quickly uncovering problem areas

The more tangible data you have on your workforce, the easier it is to spot problem areas and make quick, impactful changes.

For example, perhaps a department/role has exceptionally high churn or an employee is struggling to meet objectives.

Through the use of modern cloud HR software, you can access handy data dashboards and pull pre-built or custom reports, all using real-time information, to uncover these insights.

Perhaps managers need training on better supporting their teams, or an employee is constantly operating at above capacity and requires additional resources.

Knowledge is power.

More content: How legal firms can use HR data to tackle the talent shortage

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H2: Company culture should be your main priority

Wellbeing initiatives won’t mean anything if you don’t first create a great place to work.

Training resources on managing stress won't help if staff spend all day screaming at each other. 

Hopefully the above will help you make a meaningful difference, but remember, staff wellbeing is more than a tick-box exercise, and the way you operate strongly dictates your culture and work environment.

Need more help? If you're looking for more guidance on tackling the top HR challenges impacting legal firms, you're in luck!

We have a handy guide, covering the above in more detail + how to tackle other challenges such as managing a hybrid workforce and the talent shortage.

FREE Guide: How legal firms can tackle their biggest HR challenges

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