2.1 Critique of common workplace wellbeing interventions
Each of these approaches has some value. However, it is important to be aware of their limitations. Criticisms of these approaches commonly focus on the individualisation of wellbeing issues that often occurs within them.
For example, as mentioned above, many law firms have now introduced workplace wellbeing programmes. A typical wellbeing programme may focus on getting employees to eat healthily, adopt regular fitness routines, take up hobbies, get involved in social activities and try out relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness. While there is value in encouraging employees to undertake these activities, these programmes sometimes neglect to consider the employer’s role in creating a healthy workplace. It may sound obvious to say this, but eating healthily and doing mindfulness will not relieve the stresses of someone who works very long hours in a demanding role.
There's something I read, and it really did chime with me, that you can put all these initiatives in place, you can have a talk on whatever it is, you can go to these talks whether it's about time management or sleep management, you can come away and you can almost feel as if you've been kind of mis-sold it. That the company are trying to put these initiatives out without really addressing what the actual problem is, so you need the sticking plasters…
So, when people have a problem, you go for the policy, and you have all these systems to help. What about looking at it from the point of view of ‘don't let it get there’.
To prevent wellbeing issues, such as the impact of unmanageable stress, it is vital that employers look not only at asking employees to take responsibility for their own wellbeing, but also to consider the wider environment and role that they have created for the employee.
As someone who supports workplace wellbeing, it is important to be aware of this. It may be that you are able to highlight the importance of some of these wider aspects such as workplace culture, the expectations placed on teams and individuals, levels of resourcing and the way policies and procedures are designed and executed.
It may be that you do not always have the remit and opportunity to change these aspects within your role. However, consistently emphasising the value of an evidence-based approach to wellbeing which encompasses the broader workplace environment can still have a positive long-term influence.
2 The context of wellbeing support in legal workplaces