Law firms need to ensure the lawyer’s wellbeing so that they don’t quit work

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Tips to take care of the legal worker’s mental health

Mental health issues have raised awareness during these years due to the huge quantity of discontent workers with their labor that have resulted in serious health conditions such as anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts. For that reason, companies are worried due to many professionals quitting what they thought was their dreamt job and have implemented some programs to help them overcome difficult situations. The legal sector is characterized by being one of the most competitive one, so firms need to learn how to provide strategies to cope with that negative aspect of the profession.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that over 15% of the working population is suffering from a mental health condition occasioned by their job. In addition, it shows that 12.000 million hours of work are lost each year due to serious mental disorders such as depression.

Law firms need to keep in mind this data in order to prevent attorneys from quitting their job and, also, to ensure their legal workers mental health.

Advice for a better mental health

The first step to consider is to create a secure and open environment in which every single firm worker can communicate with their superior or with a person who is entitled to give advice in psychological topics. Moreover, this is going to help them ask for assistance when they feel overcome by their responsibilities or tasks.

Another tip that results in positive outcomes is to be flexible with some aspects of the legal profession such as the location of the worker offering them online work or even the schedule.

It is extremely relevant to humanize the legal profession and make them feel understood and that they are not lonely. Coworkers should be trained in being considerate with each other in order to create a safe space and also to recommend psychological services without making a fuss out of it, so that the employee that is suffering can ask for help easier.

Education of the superiors is essential for the establishment of an adequate mental health program in the firm. They should learn basic knowledge of first aid and how to deal with mental crisis to prevent serious scenarios from happening.