Creating the right culture to support mental health – in person and remotely

Supporting employees’ mental health will be on many a firm’s agenda this year, and it’s important to have the right cultural signals in place to ensure an open environment – according to Farhan Farani, founding partner of Farani Taylor Solicitors.

The working world has sat back into a new normal, but firms have noticed that the pandemic’s two years of uncertainty will continue to have an impact on their lawyers’ and legal professionals’ mental health.

Creating a positive mental health culture is no mean feat, especially when many firms are operating on a hybrid basis. But there are ways you can overcome these blockages in order to create an environment that supports mental health.

Create an open-door policy between senior and junior lawyers/legal professionals. Keeping the door open doesn’t have to be just physical – the same can apply virtually too. Senior lawyers should be encouraged to regularly check in with their team, and communicate that they are always available if a member of their teams needs to chat. Training could be provided on how to manage conversations around mental health, adopt ‘active listening’ techniques and share experiences (if comfortable), so senior lawyers feel equipped to discuss mental health appropriately with staff.

Leaders should also encourage their staff to have a good work-life balance, and keep an eye on employees who are struggling to maintain boundaries. Leading by example in this respect is very important, and can be done virtually – by emailing, messaging, or video calling the team to say you’ll be leaving on time, not responding to emails late at night, or, if you have to, making it clear to the respondent they don’t have to read it till the next working day (unless you work flexibly).

Recognise anyone can be affected by poor mental health. Everyone in a team can be impacted by poor mental health, so it’s important that all staff receive training on –how to detect if someone is struggling by using the traffic light system, how to support a peer, as well as provide mental health first aid. Make sure your policies and internal communications about your firm reflect this, in-person and online. Hold hybrid events and do fundraising in aid of mental health recognition days too, to demonstrate there’s no taboo in the workplace around it.

Partner with counselling providers. The health service is unfortunately not able to cope with the current level of demand for mental health therapy. Many employees may have struggled to be referred to specialist services or are unable to pay for private therapy. Firms, where possible, should consider offering employees a confidential service to talk. Many services can provide in-person or online therapy very easily. Make sure this service is easily accessible and discreet – where people can refer themselves directly to the service without speaking to their team leaders if they don’t feel comfortable. How to access the service should be available on the company intranet and conveyed in regular communications.

While we all adjust to being ‘back to normal’, adopting the above steps will create a positive mental health culture at your firm, both in the office and on a remote basis.