How great is it that we can openly discuss being healthy in both body and mind nowadays. There was a time when burnout, depression and anxiety at work were seen as inconsequential. Stiff upper lip, just get on with it mentality.
Any good manager will know that to get the best from their employees is to show them that they work in a place where they can speak openly and feel listened to. Leading by good example when it comes to looking after that of your own, and your colleagues’ mental health is a positive driver generating a better work environment, which equates to fewer days off sick, and motivation to do well. Here at the ILFM we really want our members to be able to reach out to us as well, if they are struggling - be it from a technical question or maybe a feeling of isolation.
Stress at work
Work in the legal industry bestows many challenging responsibilities and the various roles involved can be stressful with a lot of pressure being placed on you. It is important to look after your mental health and wellbeing and utilising the services that are available to you can be a great way to do this. For example, your HR manager should have an open door policy, or your practice manager is often the person who gets to the heart of human issues.
We have Simon Smith, a hugely experienced legal professional, running our Practice Management online courses - which are a must for anyone in a PM role feeling that they would like that extra guidance for know-how of ensuring you are respected and valued, thereby giving your team and the firm as a whole, a person who employees and peers know has their back.
Let’s face it, the legal industry is a highly pressured environment to work in, as well as really enjoyable with a great sense of achievement that motivates so many of us in it! Whether you’re part of the accounts department keeping checks on conveyancing transactions or nagging litigation departments to sort out their end-of-month bills, there are stages within each month where the accounts department is working like a machine, appeasing clients, fee earners, paralegals and your Senior Partner! It’s fast-paced where no human errors can occur otherwise the SRA and your COFA will be breathing down your neck! With all that going on, when do you take the time to look after your own wellbeing?
Having a good wellbeing strategy in the workplace can give you, and your colleagues what they need to improve their wellbeing at work, which of course is a knock-on to home life.
Why is employee wellbeing important?
In the last few years employee wellbeing and support of staff has been a high priority. Covid has only made the need for better wellbeing support to grow and continue to look at. It shouldn’t just be a tick box exercise. Many businesses are investing in ways to improve employee wellbeing and offering further support services than before.
Work takes up so much of our waking hours each day, including part-time roles, making work therefore one of the main factors in our wellbeing. When our mental health is being prioritised in our places of work, whether that’s in the office or at home, workers connect more to the job and feel more confident in the business. It can lead to increased productivity and improves the work that is completed too.
If wellbeing is ignored in the workplace then you, your employees and colleagues could end up disconnecting from the job, which naturally would have a huge impact on their work and life, and that of the business itself. According to BBC work life “Nearly 40% of employees don’t tell their manager the real reason for calling in sick to work” because they are anxious of how people will react. Our colleagues need to have a way to communicate openly with us as well as other members within the practice without the feeling of being judged. Feeling judged is a horrible feeling and if you’re struggling with burnout, or anxiety it’s hard to see an actual cause, such as a broken arm, but mental health really is important so having the ability to communicate easily at work should be a top priority. Once there’s a non-judgemental ethos at work, there’s no need to lie about why they are taking time off and you and the firm can offer full support for a quicker resolution or recovery. This doesn’t only help the employee get better, but it also opens up a further conversation about wellbeing in the legal world.
How to help colleagues with support
Communication: Having a good level of communication with your colleagues is so vital. It encourages cooperation and allows them to feel at ease when discussing any mental health or wellbeing issues. Checking in with them at multiple points throughout the day and checking if there is anything they need help with, if they need a break etc shows them that you are prioritising their mental health. Communication is one of the best ways to improve wellbeing in the workplace, it allows your colleagues to feel heard and supported.
Time: We all know that time is crucial in the legal industry, it's a fast-paced environment that sometimes feels like there’s no time to step away and take a break. Your colleagues will often be too busy and consumed with work to check in with their wellbeing and mental health, so you need to allow them some time and offer breaks where necessary. Force breaks even! You should also be generous with your time, this can be in the form of offering to take over a few tasks so your colleague can get a break or make it clear to everyone that your door is always open for a chat. Even taking the time out of your day to bring someone a cup of coffee or a bottle of water can give them a push in the right direction with their wellbeing.
Making everyone feel included: Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are making sure that everyone, no matter who they are or their role in the business has a voice and feels involved. Make sure that you aren’t leaving anyone out and that everyone has a chance to express their wellbeing issues. Expressing the importance of managing bias can help make everyone feel valued and respected which can overall increase workplace wellbeing. Why not arrange a work outing like bowling or a meal, that way you can get to know everyone a little better and everyone feels like part of a team. Let’s face it, if you’re working in the accounts department you’ll know the budgets!
Relationships: A business always works best when there are strong connections and relationships. Having someone your colleagues can trust to lean on when things get too much can change the dynamic of your business. Having a strong relationship can also encourage people to come to work and connect with the business more. When your colleagues know that you are someone they can talk to and have a good bond with, you may notice their work improving and their energy getting better. Having a friend at work can make the whole day better and improve wellbeing.
On the flip side, if you are aware of toxic relationships at work and a bullying system going on, it must be tackled and sorted as if it’s noticed, your HR manager might find themselves in a Tribunal!
Getting support at work for wellbeing
Support is what we are here for at the ILFM. We really are here to help you! Assistance is available to all of our members because we know how much pressure involves being in the legal industry, so we offer support wherever we can. Our door is always open for a non-judgemental and confidential chat and hopefully together we can work out a great way to prioritise your mental health and wellbeing. We want to help guide all of our members and we have great mentoring services available as well as great resources that can help with so many issues as a legal finance and management professional that you probably are reading this! Make sure to use all the services in our membership that are available to you because they can make such a difference in your day-to-day mental health and overall wellbeing.
Money laundering, compliance checks, stressed clients, even more stressed fee earners and partners managing the departments, whilst bringing in business and keeping the company afloat! Just some of the day-to-day stresses upon the shoulders of you and your colleagues! Whilst you are busy prioritising your colleague’s wellbeing we are here to prioritise yours! You can be a part of this by becoming an ILFM member, if you’re not already. We really do have your back here, so please feel free to reach out to us whenever you need to, we are always up for a chat!
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