The best employee benefits for law firms to adopt in 2023

It’s commonly known that the legal profession is one that demands a lot of hard work and can leave little time for leisure. Whilst many lawyers stick as close to the 9-5 as possible, a significant amount end up working 60 hours per week.

With so much time spent on the job, it’s important that companies repay their employees not just with a respectable salary but with perks that recognise their loyalty and hard work. Doing so is also a proven way to improve retention and talent acquisition, with benefits becoming even more favourable than pay increases for the majority of workers.

Here we share how to improve your law firm’s employee benefits package.

Mental health support

The legal profession is facing a major mental health crisis. The demanding nature of the industry including long hours, stressful cases and a lack of support has left an increasing number of lawyers and solicitors feeling burned out.

The International Bar Association reports that 3 in 4 employees aged 25-35 believe their employer is not doing enough for mental wellbeing. Whilst 41% wouldn’t discuss wellbeing issues with their employer incase of a negative impact to their career. A disheartening number of lawyers with disabilities have also had suicidal thoughts do the work-related mental health issues, with 1 in 8 having engaged in self-harm.

It’s therefore imperative for employers to step up and prioritise the wellbeing of their workers. Access to counselling and therapy services is one of the top perks employees wants in 2023, closely followed by health insurance and access to support groups. You should also consider how you can foster a more supportive work environment by educating employees and managers on how to recognise and manage mental health issues among colleagues.

Mentoring

With law being one of the most ambitious and competitive industries, mentoring is an extremely important benefit. The relationship between mentor and mentee allows for development and guidance whilst being a crucial way for aspiring legal professionals to make connections. 

It is also an effective way of creating a more supportive culture by fostering a sense of community and collaboration. This in turn makes a firm a more attractive place to work, particularly if the mentoring programme can help to promote diversity and inclusion by providing opportunities to underrepresented groups.

Seek to implement, or improve, a mentoring scheme that will help to retain talented junior lawyers and develop the next generation of leaders. Ensure the benefits are well advertised to both mentors and mentees to encourage participation and successful results.

Work life balance

Flexible working is a commonplace term in most workplaces. However not many effectively implement flexibility as a practice. Aside from the ability to work from home, there is a huge increase in demand for flexible hours and part-time work. One survey found that whilst lawyers aren’t avoiding putting in long hours (close to 10 per day), 63% would prefer to choose when they work to better fit with home responsibilities.

A further 23% would prefer to have restricted hours during the week in which they don’t have to regularly check client emails. Whilst 15% want to move to part-time work, with most being happy with an average of 2.1 days at home. 

With a clear shift into better flexibility in the workplace, it’s time for law firms to catch up and provide better arrangements such as hybrid working, flexitime, job-sharing and annualised hours. Doing so is vital when advertising new job roles but also for keeping current employees from quitting, as over half state they are likely to do if not offered the flexibility they desire.

Study leave

Many lawyers want the opportunity to continue their education and professional development through extra studies. The legal profession is constantly changing and evolving, and lawyers need to stay up to date with the latest laws and regulations to do their job effectively and ethically. Doing so also nurtures motivation and job-fulfilment, providing the chance to learn new things and explore different areas of the law.

Accommodating for study can also allow your employees the opportunity to advance their careers. Lawyers who continue their legal education are often seen as more knowledgeable and skilled, and can therefore be more likely to receive a promotion. Consider supplementing paid study leave and or reimbursing tuition fees as a part of your benefits programme to help your employees continue their legal education.

Support at home

With the majority of lawyers working upwards of 40 hours per week, there is simply not enough time to juggle work with looking after the home, socialising, exercising and personal appointments. On top of this are the 70% who struggle to find time for family including those with children, elderly relatives, or both. 

Providing assistance with household responsibilities and family care is a simple yet extremely impactful way of alleviating your employees’ load. companiions connects your workers to hundreds of trustworthy and verified locals who can provide on-demand assistance in any way they need it. This could be picking up groceries, spending time with an elderly parent, cleaning the home or prepping meals. And it’s cost effective too. Supporting your lawyers to care for their home and take care of family emergencies means they don’t need to reduce billable hours. Learn more about how companiions can help your employees balance work with all of life's challenges through our employee benefits offering.

Ready to implement better perks at your law firm? Find out more about companiions employee benefits programme and how our on-demand support services can help your lawyers to lighten their load and focus on their career.