The International Bar Association (IBA) has released the results of its Workplace Wellbeing Survey 2024 Analysis and Discussion, conducted by the IBA Professional Wellbeing Commission. The survey, carried out in July 2024 among 236 participants from 68 jurisdictions, revealed that many law firms lack effective and proactive policies to prevent workplace wellbeing issues.

Key findings of the report:

• A majority of respondents believe that law firms are ineffective at supporting staff experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges, and are not adequately preventing such issues from arising.

• While 62.56 per cent indicated that wellbeing programmes are part of their organisation’s overall strategy, only 39.21 per cent reported that these measures are regularly monitored and evaluated for effectiveness.

• Line managers play a critical role in supporting mental health in the workplace, yet often lack the recognition, training, and support needed to fulfil this role effectively.

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of mental health for 40.71 per cent of respondents, but many noted a gap between stated intentions and practical implementation of wellbeing initiatives.

Recommendations from the report’s authors:

• Law firms should adopt strategies that enable a shift from reactive to engaged and proactive approaches to workplace wellbeing.

• Individuals with managerial responsibilities should receive appropriate training, resources, and support to foster and promote positive workplace wellbeing.

• Bar associations, law societies, and other legal sector organisations should support firms in adopting new wellbeing approaches through training, capacity building, and the dissemination of relevant information, evidence, and examples of good practice.

The full report is available for download in PDF format here.