A new survey from Ragan’s Workplace Wellness Insider and furniture maker Ergotron finds that ergonomics play an important role in workplace wellness and employee retention. In response to the findings, the companies partnered to produce a free guide to help companies create a healthier and more comfortable work space. The guide explores what employees want and expect from their employers, how workers feel about hybrid and remote work, whether it is worth having a post-pandemic physical office and how to help employees move more.

Mark Mohammadpour, founder and chief wellness officer of Chasing the Sun, which offers corporate well-being coaching, tells Ragan Communications that companies need to rethink how they support remote and hybrid workers during this season. His recommendations include (1) helping employees manage change with compassion and consistency; (2) reinforcing company values to increase workers’ trust and productivity; and (3) engaging in active listening of employees through conversation, surveys and advocacy committees. He also urges employers to provide flexibility in how hybrid work is structured, empower people to use their vacation time, and cancel meetings that take up unnecessary time.

A new report from the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Attorney Well-Being recommends law firms cap billable hours, encourage full vacations and manage client expectations to promote well-being, the ABA Journal reports. The state bar report found that law firms should cap billable hours at 1,800 per year and should not exceed the cap when determining bonus eligibility. Three thousand eighty nine lawyers responded to the bar’s survey and, on a scale of one to five, gave their overall satisfaction with law practice a 3.42. When asked what problems impact well-being the most, the top three answers were no down time, client expectations and demands and financial pressures in the business of law. Those with 101 to 200 lawyers in their firms were the least satisfied, while those with 21 to 50 in their practices were most satisfied. Judges were the most satisfied among practice types.

The ABA’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs has a helpful resource to help lawyers understand and treat compassion fatigue. According to the ABA, compassion fatigue “is the cumulative physical, emotional and psychological effect of exposure to traumatic stories or events when working in a helping capacity, combined with the strain and stress of everyday life.” Symptoms for this condition include: becoming emotionally detached and numb in professional and personal life; becoming demoralized and questioning one’s professional competence and effectiveness; and having disturbing images from cases intrude into thoughts and dreams. The resource suggests that criminal, family or juvenile law attorneys could be especially prone to compassion fatigue as a result of continuous exposure to human-induced trauma. Read the full article for helpful tips on treating the condition.

The Harvard Business Review has released findings from the 2021 Mental Health at Work Report. Responses were collected from 1,500 U.S. adults with full-time jobs and with statistically significant representation across racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, generational divides and other factors. The study revealed that younger and historically underrepresented workers still struggle the most and that workers are increasingly leaving their jobs due to mental health reasons like overwhelming and unsustainable work. The number of employees reporting at least one symptom of a mental health condition was 76% compared to 59% in 2019. The survey also found that, although many companies still haven’t achieved true cultural change, many are finally investing in mental health support. Read the full report at Harvard Business Review.  

A new episode of The Law in Black and White podcast tackles health and wellness in the legal profession. “The Existential Crisis: Mental Health in the Legal Profession” features attorneys Brian Cuban and Scott Langley, who discuss why the legal industry, notorious for its competitive pressures, high stakes, and long hours, sometimes becomes characterized by burnout and extreme stress and what the profession can do to ensure the mental health of its attorneys. The podcast, created by alternative legal services provider Legal Innovators can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ragan Communications will host a free one-hour webinar tomorrow on prioritizing movement for better well-being. “How to Boost Employee Wellness: Move More and Sit Less,” will run from noon until 1 p.m. CDT and will teach attendees about the negative impact of sedentary behaviors in the workplace, the connection between movement and well-being and how to create a workspace program that prioritizes movement. A recording of the program will be sent to all those who register, even if they cannot attend the webinar live. Register here.  

The Mindfulness in Law Society is offering legal professionals from across the country a chance to participate in live virtual guided meditations each week. The “Virtual Sits” are led by lawyers and are free of charge. Join the meditations every Monday at 2 p.m. CDT and Wednesday at 4 p.m. CDT. Find more information, teacher bios and Zoom links to join the events on the Mindfulness in Law Society’s website.

A recent article from Reuters urges legal employers to consider financial wellness when addressing the larger issue of employee well-being. The article suggests that stress around financial and related money problems, often amplified by student loans, can lead to mental and physical health issues down the road. Employers can help relieve some of this stress by offering workshops on managing finances, working with third-party providers to offer digital and live financial planning services and offering longer-term holistic solutions. According to the article, legal employers who offer a well-being strategy that includes financial wellness will only strengthen the employer value proposition of potential hires.

Kent Halkett, a trial attorney of 44 years and survivor of a suicide attempt, penned the January/February 2021 Tennessee Bar Journal cover story in which he examined the high rates of substance abuse and mental health issues in the legal profession. “The good news: attorneys with mental health challenges can thrive in the profession,” he wrote. As a follow up to his cover story, Halkett will present “The Mental Health Crisis in the Legal Profession - A Message of Hope” during next week’s Equal Justice University conference hosted by the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. Halkett will discuss the warning signs of mental health challenges among legal professionals and how they can raise the topic with their colleagues and families. Catch his presentation on Sept. 23 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. CDT.