Keeping your mind healthy should play an important role in everyone’s lives, but one Brisbane-based legal practice has taken it to the next level by providing its team members with a series of initiatives aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing.
From rolling out workshops improve financial knowledge and the application of Workforce Wellbeing: Best Practice Guidelines, law firm Bennett & Philp has placed the wellness of its employees as a top priority.
It comes after research recently released by Meritas (Australia and New Zealand law firms initiative) revealing a high prevalence of depression and anxiety at small and medium-sized law firms, stating that a positive workplace culture was among the most important factors influencing help-seeking behaviour.
Further, more than three quarters (76%) of lawyers said they were likely to take part in dialogue, resources, training or initiatives around wellbeing if their firm made it accessible to them.
Bennett & Philp Managing Director Lance Pollard said he had already seen significant improvements in his employees since implementing these initiatives earlier this year.
“We wanted to upskill our employees better in topics such as superannuation, budgeting, investing and insurances to help them understand their own situation and manage their finances in a way that alleviates financial stress,” Mr Pollard said.
“Our staff also have access to Law Care, which is free counselling service where they can talk through any mental health issues they may be facing, and we are involved with Minds Count too – a not-for-profit organisation aiming to decrease work-related ill-health in the legal community and promote psychological health and safety in the workplace.
We are already starting to see the results in our team. It’s no secret that employees who have reduced stress in their personal life are happier and more productive at work as well. It reduces their overall stress which bodes well for them as individuals and us as a firm.”
Mr Pollard added more companies should be investing wellbeing initiatives for their people.
“We want to ensure everyone at Bennett & Philp has access to programs and initiatives that help them grow personally and professionally as well as reduce stressors,” he said.
The lack of awareness about workplace wellbeing is interesting given its impacts both professional and personally.
I’m surprised programs like these aren’t more common. The more we invest in our people, the more likely they are to achieve job satisfaction and higher levels of productivity, both of which drive higher levels of retention.”
Individual liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation (personal injury work exempted).