One of the primary reasons for the foundation of Jonathan’s Voice, after Jonathan’s sudden tragic death in 2017, was to support the development of mentally safe workplaces where all can thrive and prosper; places where there is no stigma attached to sharing one’s struggles with mental health and wellbeing and where it’s ok not to be ok.” This has continued to be a key focus of the charity’s activity and we believe that there has been some progress.
Jonathan’s Voice has a particular focus on those who work in the Intellectual Property sector, a career that has very similar challenges to those who work in the law. It is saddening therefore to read that a report from charity LawCare https://www.lawcare.org.uk/ revealed that nearly 70% of lawyers had experienced mental ill health in the past year, but only half had discussed it at work. Elizabeth Rimmer, the charity’s chief executive, says that the survey provides “compelling evidence” that the culture, accepted working practices and lack of effective people management at law firms are “undermining mental health.” Lawyers are at “high risk of burnout, associated with having a high workload, working long hours and a psychologically unsafe working environment.” She concludes that managing partners must prioritise mental health in City law firms to create psychologically healthy workplaces.
We, at Jonathan’s Voice, endorse this conclusion and have bespoke packages offered by expert and experienced mental health trainers that can support organisations. Additionally, we have mental health guides on our website that are free to download. There is one specifically written for senior leaders. https://jonathansvoice.org.uk/guide-for-senior-leaders
Please contact val@jonathansvoice.org.uk for more information.
LawCare also has many resources on mental health and wellbeing https://www.lawcare.org.uk/get-information/ and a helpline 0800 279 6888 which is open to anyone in the legal community.
More details https://www.lawcare.org.uk/how-we-help/helpline-and-online-chat/
