In the second of our three-part video series on the SRA review, Partners Beth Hale and Andrew Pavlovic focus on the need for law firms to create a “speak-up” culture, considering the inherent challenges that law firms face in cultivating such a culture, and discussing what firms can do to encourage the reporting of:
- Mistakes
- Harassment, discrimination and unwanted behaviour
- Mental health issues
As part of its review, the SRA examined how firms support employees in the following areas:
- Managing client pressures
- Management of workload and allocation of work
- Reporting mistakes and near misses
- Supervision, learning and development
- Measuring performance, reward and recognition
- Recognising the signs of poor mental health and helping people to speak out
The SRA survey found that while 75% of individuals in law firms feel mostly content with their workplace culture, a quarter of individuals feel their firm does not have a positive culture. The review highlights how a poor workplace culture can affect not only personal wellbeing but also competence, ethical behaviour and ultimately the standard of service received by clients.
In our three-part video series, we focus on the following key themes coming out of the report:
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Creating a “speak-up” culture
- Supervision and support
If you have any questions in relation to the SRA’s review, or would like to discuss further, please contact Andrew Pavlovic, who specialises in regulatory and professional discipline issues for law firms and partners, high-net-worth individuals, companies, charities and regulators, or General Counsel Beth Hale and Partner Emma Bartlett, both of whom specialise in employment and partnership issues for multinational employers, senior executives, partnerships and partners.
