Partnership Highlight: Norton Rose Fulbright & Empowr.
We're excited to highlight our collaboration with Norton Rose Fulbright, which has helped spark our passion for the legal industry. We're proud of the progress we've made together. Recognizing the promising connection between Empowr and the legal world, we're eager to learn more about this field. To help highlight this journey, we've asked Marjolein van Leunen, Head of HR Benelux at Norton Rose Fulbright, to share her perspective on our collaboration.
Why did you choose Empowr?
At Norton Rose Fulbright, we are committed to creating a culture of care and inclusion for our people. We understand that the legal profession can be demanding and stressful, and that our people's mental health and well-being are essential for their personal and professional success. That's why we partnered with Empowr, a mental health marketplace that connects our people with a variety of online and offline resources to support their mental and psychical health needs.
Why made you invest proactively in the mental health of your people?
We believe that investing in our people's mental and physical health is the right thing to do. By providing our people with access to Empowr, we are giving them the option to get help to cope with stress, prevent burnout, enhance their resilience, and improve their productivity and performance. We are also fostering a positive and supportive work environment, where our people feel valued and respected.
What is going well?
We are happy with the results of our collaboration with Empowr so far. Since we launched the program last year, we have seen a high level of engagement and satisfaction from all of our staff, Legal and Business Support. They appreciate the confidentiality, convenience, and diversity of the Empowr platform, which offers them a range of options to suit their preferences and needs.
What can be improved?
While we are proud of the progress we have made, we know that there is always room for improvement and innovation. Some of the areas that we are working on with Empowr include:
- Expanding the range of offerings
- Increasing the awareness and accessibility of the program among our people even more
- Encouraging more feedback and suggestions from our people to tailor the program to their needs
- Eliminating the stigma and barriers around mental health in the workplace
What is your advice for other law firms?
We are happy to share our experience and learnings with other law firms that want to support their people's mental health and well-being. Our advice is:
1. Be proactive and preventive in addressing the mental health challenges that your people face.
2. Don't assume that one size fits all. Provide your people with a variety of options and choices to suit their individual needs and preferences.
3. Don't underestimate the impact of culture. Create a culture of care and inclusion, where your people feel comfortable and safe to seek help and support.
4. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Partner with experts and providers who can help you design and implement a comprehensive and effective mental and physical health program.
We hope that our collaboration with Empowr will inspire and motivate other law firms to join us in creating a healthier and happier legal profession.
- Marjolein van Leunen, Head of HR Benelux - Norton Rose Fulbright.
