A Firm That Breathes Together Stays Together - staff retention starts at the top
Alarming statistics show that the Australian workforce is in the middle of a depression epidemic. The legal profession is one of the worst affected, resulting in the emergence of a ‘legal depression’. Staff retention rates at law firms remain one of the most challenging HR issues on the table. Droves of lawyers switch firms or leave the profession each year in search of a happier and healthier lifestyle.
The National Attrition and Re-engagement Study conducted by the Law Council of Australia considered the attrition and re-engagement rates of practising lawyers. It was found that, whilst there was evidence of workplace bullying and gender based discrimination, the underlying reason lawyers job hop and exit the profession altogether, was due to a general discontent with their firm’s workplace culture.
This would hardly be news for most lawyers, but despite these findings, the ‘go hard or go home’ approach of Australian law firms stubbornly remains the norm.
Ancient wellness initiatives not enough for the modern workplace
One of the greatest problems is that many law firms do very little to support the health and wellbeing of their staff. Back in the times when my grandmother was a young lady knitting her days away and when the idea of her having a career was not only denounced but laughable, office perks such as biscuits in the kitchen, birthday cakes and free lunches were the modern and novel ways of keeping staff happy.
But times have changed and, particularly if you’re dealing with the educated, health conscious Gen Y female, biscuits and birthday cakes will do very little towards motivating employees to succeed in and propagate your business for you.
There is now a growing trend towards implementing mindfulness based workplace activities, such as yoga and meditation, to address mental health concerns in the workplace. But, these programs too need to be carefully implemented and evaluated in order for them to have the desired outcomes envisaged.
Workplace wellness must involve a top-down approach
The culture of law firms emanating from the 1920s is outdated and is in fact counterintuitive to the modern day. Until more is done to encourage the health and wellbeing of lawyers, they will continue to be the most stressed, depressed and anxious profession on the books and retaining staff will continue to be an unresolvable issue.
The hugely unsupportive culture that is characteristic of many law firms coupled with the fact that lawyers are subject to the worst form of micromanagement imaginable - each day starting at zero and ending only once a certain number of hours measured in 6 minute increments, has been attained – is something which can only be changed by the leaders in the industry.
There is strong evidence suggesting that the way forward for Australian workplaces is for partners and CEOs to adopt an approach that champions the wellbeing of their staff and for this to be a priority in the same way that the amount of profit coming in the back door is given precedence. After all, law firms profit on their lawyers being present and healthy at work, so shouldn’t their wellbeing be rated equally as important, if not more so, than the firm’s profit margins?
Mentally healthy employees believe their workplace is mentally healthy
A report on the state of mental health in the Australian workplace released by Beyond Blue in 2014 looked at what could be done to overcome the poor perceptions held by Australians of their respective workplaces. The research showed clear differences in the opinions of employees who worked in a ‘mentally healthy workplace’ compared to those who perceived their workplace as being mentally unhealthy.
Importantly, it was found that employees who believed their workplace to be mentally healthy were significantly more likely to agree that their CEO, leaders and industry valued mental health in the workplace. Whereas, if it was not believed that the CEO valued the mental health of its staff, there were significantly poorer attitudinal and behavioural trends of employees, including twice the amount of absenteeism due to mental health conditions.
These findings demonstrate a clear link between a happy, positive work culture with leaders or CEOs of the business who actively support and nurture their staff’s mental and physical health.
Leaders of firms to take action on wellness initiatives
Following its findings in its 2014 study, Beyond Blue resolved that organisational leaders must demonstrate a commitment to good mental health in the workplace in order to effect change in organisational cultures where poor mental health is prevalent. It seems clear that the answer to improving the culture of law firms and thereby staff retention rates lies in the leaders themselves making a commitment to prioritising not only the mental health of its staff, but also their own.
Where leaders demonstrate a commitment to this important issue and actively encourage their employees to do the same, positive change will manifest. For instance, where a firm decides to implement a wellbeing program for its employees, such as yoga and meditation in order to help lessen stressors felt in the workplace and to minimise burnout, leaders need to take the approach of not only encouraging staff participation but of also actively engaging with the program themselves.
Wellbeing requires a ‘whole firm’ approach, and absolutely must have the full support of its leaders in order for any wellbeing solution to truly have an impact and thereby address the biggest reason that lawyers leave their jobs.
If you are interested in seeking advice on implementing a wellness program for you or your group, contact Dwana from Align (alignlife.co) on 0411 364 406 or via email at dwana@alignlife.co.