According to a YouGov poll in spring 2022, one in four lawyers had experienced stress or burnout at work. Over a quarter of those surveyed reported feeling this way on a daily basis. In recent years there’s been a definite push to ensure that solicitors and legal professionals feel secure and happy in the workplace, and a clear recognition of how important this is as an endeavour.
Fostering a happy and healthy workplace culture is a great place to start, and here we’re looking at just a few of the ways in which a supportive and positive culture can become the norm, and why it matters so much in the legal sector.
Why does it matter?
In any workplace, a happy and supportive workplace culture can reap massive benefits, including:
- A reduction in absenteeism.
- Better employee engagement.
- Higher staff retention rates.
When it comes to the law, despite numerous TV shows depicting a life of glamour and high drama, the legal profession is also one synonymous with long hours, stress and heavy caseloads. However, there are ways to ensure that these are not the defining features of life as a solicitor.
It all starts with values
Here at Harrogate Family Law, we understand the importance of workplace values. Of course there are the obvious ones such as honesty, meticulous attention to detail, accountability and reliability, that are embedded into our daily working lives as family solicitors. But there are other values too.
Open communication, patience and working as a team – these are all things that help to make the workplace somewhere that people want to be. Being able to discuss challenging cases, asking for help when needed, and being involved in decisions about the future of the business – these all go a long way to helping create a happy and healthy legal workplace culture.
We’re also a family law firm that’s proud of our local presence. Whilst we represent clients across the country, we truly value being a part of the wonderful community of Harrogate, and supporting it in any way we can. Being a Premier Partner of Harrogate International Festivals is just one example of this, you can read more about our partnership here.
Training and development
Far from being just another tick-box exercise that our staff can add to their to-do list, training and development matters at Harrogate Family Law. It’s important for people to know that they’re not going to stagnate professionally, and that when it comes to developing their skills and legal practice, their suggestions will be heard and considered.
As a team, we all have our particular specialisms. We’ve all been given training opportunities that will enhance our existing skills, and serve to make us better at what we do. And that doesn’t stop at professional training and development. A number of our team have undertaken training specifically around mental health in the workplace. We know that in order to be the best for clients, we need to be OK too. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Nurturing upcoming talent and recognising achievements
This is something that’s very important at Harrogate Family Law. Every member of our team matters. We know that alongside our senior practitioners, our trainee solicitors and paralegals bring with them not only new skills, but also fresh ideas about how the legal workplace can be a better place for everyone.
It’s also vital to recognise achievements within a team. Very recently, our trainee solicitor Freddy Wharton was nominated for Trainee Solicitor of the Year at The Yorkshire Legal Awards. This was hot on the heels of our partner and colleague Laura Mounsey being named Rising Star Under 30 at the Stray Ferret Business Awards. It’s been a real privilege as a firm to watch the members of our team achieve so much, and it’s our firm intention to help them build on that success.
As we continue to grow as a firm, the values of both our business and our team will be more important than ever, and we hope that we continue to set the example for a positive culture in the legal workplace. If you’d like to know more about working with us, or having a chat about becoming a member of the team, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
