How greatly would your life change if your law firm prioritized your mental health so that you could thrive personally and professionally?
After all, as lawyers we spend most of our waking time working (either physically or remotely). This is where we develop in our careers while learning hard lessons about resilience and accepting constructive feedback, and it is where we hope to establish leadership and management skills over projects, people and clients. And while we busily develop as lawyers, we face other relentless demands: to build business, to increase originations, to mentor and lead and (of course) to bill hours. These expectations start well before law school and follow us to retirement. It is reinforced at every turn, from earning high grades in law school to securing a coveted job upon graduation.
But juggling all these priorities is only part of the balancing act. While maintaining peak performance as lawyers, we also seek to remain human beings with self-care and family needs. At home, we may be caring for aging parents, raising children and managing households, just to name a few.
Given these combined, often crushing, stresses we should not be surprised that lawyers are among the hardest hit by mental health challenges of all licensed professionals. Lawyers contemplate suicide at twice the average rate of American adults. According to Psychology Today, in a 2016 nationwide study of lawyers in the United States, 28 percent reported experiencing depression, 19 percent reported experiencing anxiety, 23 percent reported stress, 21 percent reported experiencing alcohol abuse and 11 percent reported experiencing drug abuse. And these are not new numbers. The only thing changing is the emergence of wellness programs focused on changing the discussion around mental health––or at least that was our goal in partnering with our employees on wellness to start normalizing these conversations.
Last year, while I was hard at work as a shareholder at Baker Donelson’s office in Baltimore, my family experienced its own mental health crisis. That event put further strain on the expectations for me to bill hours, grow clients and mentor and lead the next generation of lawyers. The time it took to navigate this unfamiliar challenge took time away from my matters and duties to other lawyers at the firm. It soon became impossible to balance the expectations of both work and home. Fortunately for me (and likely rare for this industry) the leadership at Baker Donelson was incredibly supportive. But the stress to continue to perform remained––whether self-induced or otherwise.
This experience caused me to reflect on how life-changing it could be if law firms did more than just support their lawyers and employees when in crisis but also partnered with them to manage––maybe even help prevent––these and other challenges full-time and not just when in crisis mode. From this, BakerWell was born.
To be sure, Baker Donelson has always prioritized the well-being of its employees, but there was more to do. The mission of BakerWell is to partner with, and support, our lawyers and employees by providing resources to help them prioritize their mental and physical health and by building a supportive and healthy work environment to bolster both personal and professional success. BakerWell is now one of the many important partnerships at Baker Donelson that start with “Baker,” alongside BakerPride (a resource group for LGBTQ attorneys and staff), BakerSalute (a resource group for veterans) and BakerWomen (our women’s initiative), among others. By branding this partnership “BakerWell,” Baker Donelson affirmed that this partnership was on par with these valued firm initiatives. BakerWell helps us unify the various well-being resources and initiatives under a single, easily identifiable name, empowering lawyers, paraprofessionals and staff to access and engage with the program.
BakerWell also plays an important role in recruiting and retention, which are some of the most challenging aspects of running a successful law firm. In 2022, the American Psychological Association commissioned the Harris Poll to conduct a survey to assess “workplace experiences and how they have changed (or not changed) in light of the pandemic; measure employee stress related to work; and capture what employees are looking for from their employers regarding their mental health in the context of the pandemic and changing priorities.” According to that survey, 81 percent of individuals said they will be looking for workplaces that support mental health when they seek future job opportunities. In addition, the survey found that organizations that implemented mental health programs saw employee absenteeism decrease by 25 percent and saw overall employee engagement increase by 32 percent. Those results speak volumes about the importance of partnerships like BakerWell in recruiting the best talent, and to retaining the incredible talent we have already.
The goal of this article is to provide a road map for other law firms to invest in a partnership like BakerWell, in hopes that more firms will foster a supportive culture and play their part in prioritizing the health and well-being of their lawyers and employees. After all, we know that taking care of ourselves allows us to better serve our clients, colleagues, friends, families and the legal community at large. As this happens, perhaps we can make a dent in the startling statistics for lawyers regarding depression, anxiety and even suicide.
The overall success of any new program depends on its support by firm leadership and the ability to execute it. That is why the first order of business for BakerWell was to team up with human resources (HR) and other leaders in the firm for buy-in and execution. BakerWell had the immediate support of our CEO and COO. The firm’s highest levels of leadership not only supported our mission, but they advocated and personally assisted in its execution. In fact, our CEO, Tim Lupinacci, participated in the launch of BakerWell by telling his story of how coaching helped him during challenging times as the leader of the firm. Having the support of leadership, both internally and externally, can be a difference maker in the long-term success of the program.
Wellness programs naturally fit among the resources offered by HR departments, and their ability to execute firm-wide is critical to their success. We were fortunate that our HR department was already working with an outside consultant on many of the same issues we were tackling, and they were already invested in this as well. Partnering with HR helped with execution, internal operations and ideas for maximizing our current resources and finding better ones.
Just like all great projects, the spectrum of ideas that comes with forging a partnership of leaders, invested professionals and HR can only elevate any wellness program and ensure it is carried out successfully and efficiently.
The single greatest barrier to the success of any wellness program is the stigma associated with seeking help around mental health challenges. Our highest priority was to reduce that stigma. We knew that any stigma, whether subconscious or conscious, would discourage or altogether prevent our lawyers and employees from engaging in the resources offered. We tackled this by launching BakerWell in a firm-wide event where our CEO and I shared our stories and recent experience with mental health and using resources for assistance. The goal was to show others that firm leaders shared their challenges, had benefitted from using the resources offered and that the firm was invested in the partnership.
In addition, we moved the BakerWell tab to the front of our internal hub page, further highlighting that BakerWell is a priority to the firm. This made it the first thing employees saw upon the opening the internal hub. To further solidify this partnership, we made BakerWell a focal point of the firm’s annual all-attorney retreat, having a booth for information, holding early morning events like mediation, running and yoga and giving everyone BakerWell bracelets to wear during the retreat. There was something extremely special about seeing 600 lawyers, plus executive leadership, wearing a bracelet celebrating mental and physical wellness.
To better understand the current state of any firm’s wellness benefits and identify areas for improvement, the first step is to conduct a well-being benefits inventory. Through this inventory, it is easy to identify what resources are already offered, which resources are being utilized or not being utilized and where gaps exist. This provides valuable insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the existing benefits and helps identify resources that can be implemented efficiently to provided immediate impact.
Sometimes the greatest obstacle for employees to using available resources is knowing what is offered and how to access them. Starting by understanding how employees typically seek information and compiling existing resources is a great place to start. For this, we added a BakerWell resources page to our internal hub, with links to all the services that we offer and those that we added. We also gave BakerWell its own page, instead of having to navigate through the HR page, to ensure that employees felt comfortable accessing the services without fear of the firm being aware of their needs or use. The number of visits to the resources page has increased exponentially since the launch of BakerWell reflecting that these are the very resources lawyers and law firm employees are looking for to enrich their personal and professional lives.
Anytime launching something new, there is always a risk of failure due to lack of commitment, barriers to execution or re-prioritizing of goals. This is why we set our goals for year one of BakerWell very simply. We focused on identifying committee members, rebranding BakerWell, and opening, with the hope of sustaining the discussion around mental health. Beyond that, for year one, consider prioritizing new initiatives that have immediate impact. The following are examples of new initiatives that we identified would have immediate impact and sought to roll out in year one.
The firm has offered coaching services to associates for several years, which has been extremely successful and widely used. Recognizing the importance of coaching for lawyers at all levels, BakerWell expanded these coaching services to shareholders as well. We interviewed many consultants for this role and took great care in selecting a coaching consultant group that would best meet the needs of our lawyers. These one-on-one coaching sessions are designed to support both the personal and professional growth of shareholders. The sessions are confidential, and the potential topics include burnout, executive functioning, anxiety and leadership and management skills.
We were also fortunate that the coaching consultant we chose also offers programming. Because they are meeting with our lawyers regularly, they can assist us in selecting topics that would resonate with our lawyers. The consistency in their approach to programming and coaching has been an added benefit.
An unexpected but welcomed result of adding shareholder coaching was an increase in the utilization of associate coaching. We hope that this reflects our efforts to reduce stigma around using wellness resources. Perhaps seeing shareholders experience some of the same challenges they do around balance, development and lawyer life is comforting in their own journeys, and that as shareholders are using coaching resources, they are more comfortable as well. Some examples of associate coaching topics range from time management and communication skills to burnout and stress management.
To further support employee well-being, Baker Donelson offered webinars on various wellness topics. This programming provided resources, information and practical tips on topics ranging from stress management to physical health, hopefully helping employees improve their overall health and well-being. Examples of these webinars included: Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation, Peak Performance and Navigating Personal and Professional Transitions for Continued Growth. These programs were well-attended, and we made recordings available for anyone unable to attend during the scheduled time.
Another of BakerWell’s key accomplishments in 2024 was the evaluation of employee assistance programs (EAPs) to ramp up offerings for mental health support for employees and family members. After evaluating several options, Baker Donelson selected a vendor that offers member-first care, which prioritizes the unique needs and preferences of employees and their families. They provide comprehensive mental health support, including therapy, coaching and self-guided resources. We are looking forward to seeing how this resource is utilized this year.
Recognizing that physical health and chronic pain can have an impact on mental health, the firm added a virtual musculoskeletal physical therapy benefit. Employees and their dependents can access a physical therapist and health coach for virtual sessions, unlimited one-on-one health coaching and motion-tracking technology for instant formation correction.
We knew that there was no way we could meet the needs of everyone without providing an anonymous feedback loop for ideas, requests and feedback on whether our approach was comprehensive and effective. As for any new project, this is imperative to evaluate the project objectively, without any bias that comes from its committee members.
At the end of year one, it is important to continually survey employee wellness, the success of the wellness partnership and gather feedback by administering a wellness survey to help set goals for year two. Consider dividing the survey into two sets of questions: the first set aimed to establish the current sentiment about key areas of wellness, and the second set to seek employee feedback on where further support is needed. This will assist in ensuring that additional resources and programs are utilized and fill any gaps after year one.
We were pleasantly surprised at our survey response rate. Like any survey, we were unsure whether to expect a strong response rate or see it get ignored. Perhaps a reflection of the importance of the subject, we were thrilled to see a 57.5 percent survey response rate, and to receive almost 400 open-ended responses. Through this survey, we were able to gather real-time insights into BakerWell and to identify emerging trends and areas of concern. These results directed our strategic plan for year two of BakerWell, focusing on adding additional well-being resources, implementing mental health training for leaders of the firm, researching mental health concierge benefits and other initiatives to support mental, physica, and financial health.
Perhaps as no surprise, mental health emerged as the greatest concern among the survey respondents. Many respondents indicated that work practices were a significant contributor to their mental health challenges. This finding highlights the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace and implementing strategies to alleviate stress and promote well-being.
Physical health was identified as the second area of concern. Associates reported feeling the most pressure in both mental and physical health domains. This dual pressure underscores the need for a holistic approach to well-being that addresses both mental and physical health.
Overall, employees expressed satisfaction and appreciation for the existing benefits and well-being resources provided by Baker Donelson. This is a testament to the need for these partnerships in law firms and how important it is to prioritize mental and physical health in the work environment. The survey also revealed areas where improvements could be made to better address employee needs and provided excellent ideas for the coming year.
The survey also highlighted potential benefits that employees felt would be valuable additions to the firm's offerings. Ideas included gym memberships, wellness stipends and physical health programs.
The survey will provide you with opportunities to add to your wellness program, make changes to existing resources and ideas for strengthening your program. Evaluate which opportunities will help you accomplish the goals of your program and impact the most employees. The following are some ideas that have emerged and that we are considering for year two.
After navigating the first year, it was obvious that while the committee was made up of leaders in the firm, that it would be better served by additional members to the committee. This year, we are looking to add a senior member of staff, and a director of associate recruiting and engagement to add voices for all members of the firm to the committee.
Recognizing the importance of mental health awareness, Baker Donelson will offer mental health first aid training to all managers and leaders. This training will equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to support their teams and address mental health concerns effectively. The goal is not to solve or diagnose mental health challenges, but to identify potential issues, recommend support and partner on the outcome.
As part of our efforts to provide more robust support around navigating mental health services, we are researching mental health navigation/concierge services to assist employees with finding care for minor children and family members. The time spent navigating the available resources can instead be undertaken by experts in employees’ individual geographic areas.
The firm recognizes that finances can be a source of stress for families, and we offer professional retirement savings planning advice at no cost to our team members. For example, the firm’s 401(k) financial advisors will visit our offices in spring 2025 to hold in-person seminars and offer individual consultations with plan participants on their personal financial and retirement plans. We will offer a series of webinars on the other key components of retirement, Social Security and Medicare. In addition to retirement planning services, the firm has offered webinars on other financial wellness topics such as talking to elderly parents about estate planning and personal estate planning. In partnership with many of our clients, team members can access discounts for concert tickets, cars, clothing, cell phones and travel.
Even with all these resources and ideas, we know that we are only making a dent in the challenges our law firm employees face. We know there will always be work to do, but we are committed and excited to deepen our partnership with our employees for abundant mental, physical and financial health so that we can retain our incredible people and be a law firm sought out for this employee experience.
