Spent via mood-boosting app
Linklaters is giving its lawyers and staff a £300 “wellbeing allowance” to access resources that will help support their mental health and wellbeing.
The allowance is to be used in conjunction with a new app the magic circle firm is rolling out for staff in the UK office.
The app, BetterSpace, acts as a “personal wellbeing concierge” in that employees are allocated a budget, take an assessment, and are then offered personalised activities and services they can choose from to improve their wellbeing. Options include knitting, volunteering, yoga classes, as well as sleep and meditation apps.
After trialling the app last year, Linklaters found that 70% of the 336 lawyers that took part reported improved mental health literacy.
Nick Syson, Linklaters’ health and wellbeing partner, commented: “It is more important than ever that we nurture our physical and mental wellbeing and we hope that the BetterSpace app will support our people in doing just that. We are proud of our culture of being open, positive and proactive about mental health and to be championing the next frontier in employee wellbeing support.”
Research has shown the mental health of lawyers, particularly those at the junior end of the profession, has declined as a result of the coronavirus lockdowns. Of the 90% of lawyers that worked from home during the recent lockdowns, 28% believed the experience had a negative impact on their mental health.
With their workforce still working remotely for the most past, City law firms are having to rethink their luxury corporate ‘perks’. After all, what use is an in-office gym and dinner at your desk when you’re working from home?