Managing Mental Health for in-house counsel and their teams
Towards the end of last year we hosted an event on managing mental health for in-house counsel.
For this panel discussion chaired by Katie Byrne, Head of the Commercial Dispute Resolution Team at Irwin Mitchell, we were joined by:
- Richard Martin, CEO of Mindful Business Charter
- Brian Pringle, Vice President, Regulatory Law UK and Europe at Visa
- Jenny Arrowsmith, a Partner in our Employment team
An online poll of attendees showed that the majority of respondents felt that stress and the legal profession go hand in hand, with key contributors for in-house counsel including high workloads, tight deadlines, and the need to balance legal and business responsibilities.
We heard from the panel about their personal experiences of mental health challenges and burnout before discussing how individuals, teams and organisations can create healthier work environments.
Key takeaways included:
Recognising signs of stress and burnout: The importance of taking time for self-reflection to recognise symptoms such as fatigue, increased irritability and decreased productivity; and taking action to address the cause of these signs before hitting crisis point.
Creating a supportive culture: How leaders must create an environment where their people feel comfortable discussing mental health issues without fear of stigma; and work with those who have suffered burnout or other challenges to make adaptations that enable a healthy and productive work life.
Providing practical actions and resources: Strategies such as peer support programs, mental health training for managers, and regular team check-ins were recommended to create supportive networks within the workplace.
The experiences shared by the panel provided valuable insights and inspiration for attendees looking to improve mental health practices for themselves and within their teams. The event concluded with a call to action for all in-house counsel and organisational leaders to proactively prioritise mental health in order to create safe and productive work environments for all.
The Mindful Business Charter provides advice and practical resources to help organisations build healthier, more productive workplaces.
