Stressful legal sector must focus on worker wellness, says HR expert

Fionnuala Power, people and culture director with corporate law firm RDJ.

Legal firms benefit significantly from programmes that raise awareness of workplace stress, wellness and family-friendly policies, says one leading industry expert.

Fionnuala Power, corporate law firm RDJ’s people and culture director, says that the Law Society reports have shown that the legal sector is very stressful, while bullying and harassment are quite common.

A recent Law Society article on stress in the legal sector cited a UK-based report by insurance firm Protectivity, which found that people in the legal sector came second when it came to a sense of overwork and workplace stress. Only those in human resources (HR) felt greater stress levels.

RDJ has built awareness of worker wellness into its core HR policies supporting its teams in offices in Cork, Dublin, and Galway. RDJ is officially a Certified B Corporation, a global certification for businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact. RDJ is the first Irish law firm to become certified B Corp.

RDJ has also formed an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) team, strengthened employee engagement, and prioritised diversity and wellbeing initiatives.

In this Q&A interview, Fionnuala Power provides insights into RDJ’s investment into the firm’s people and the logic behind its HR policies.

With legal ranked among the most stressful careers in surveys, how important are initiatives like ‘Well within the Law’, RDJ's pilot programme with the Law Society of Ireland?

Initiatives like Well Within the Law are of huge importance for the legal industry. In recent years, there have been a number of reports from the Law Society and International Bar Association that show how stressful the industry is and how common bullying and harassment is. Well Within the Law is the first strategic response to these findings, in an Irish context. As part of the initiative, our leadership team worked in tandem with the Law Society Psychological Services to assess our workplace culture. 

The final assessment reported: 

• 71% of employees reported satisfaction with their work/life balance, 
• 74% stated that long hours were only expected in exceptional circumstances, and  
• Employees identified a clear connection to the firm’s values, seeing them reflected in daily practices. 

It was very encouraging to see that the report findings for RDJ did not reflect those highlighted in the Law Society Dignity Matters report (2021), which showed unacceptable levels of bullying and harassment in the legal profession. A large majority of our employees found the RDJ culture to be positive, friendly, and inclusive. However, although very positive, there is always room for improvement. Over the coming weeks, we will be mapping our resources and supports against the report recommendations to develop a clear action plan. Our goal is to continue to build an uplifting culture that puts people at the heart of what we do.

One of the most significant milestones in our journey has been achieving B Corp Certification — the first Irish law firm to do so. This certification recognises our dedication to social and environmental impact and signals to current and prospective employees that RDJ is a firm that prioritises purpose alongside profit.

What do you suggest are the best health initiatives, flexible work options, and progressive family-friendly policies to help foster workplace wellness? 

Family-friendly policies are a key differentiator in talent retention. In 2023, we introduced paid leave for surrogacy, fertility treatments, and early-stage pregnancy loss. These policies acknowledge the diverse family-building journeys of employees and ensure they receive the support they need during significant life moments. By leading the way in these areas, we hope to set a precedent for other organisations to follow.

We find the best initiatives, flexible work options, hybrid working etc. are those that are based on what employees need as they go through different life stages.

Workplace wellness can mean different things to different people, but an overall wellbeing strategy that focuses on employees holistically rather than once-off wellness initiatives, has been more successful for us.

What factors inspired RDJ to take the lead in what is quite an innovative step for the legal profession? 

To be honest, we jumped at the chance to be first! We didn’t question it or discuss it a lot. It was the right thing to do. We think we do a good job and have a good culture here, and Well Within the Law tested that theory.

As broader surveys often flag home pressures as being the top source of stress, is there a limit to where an employer's sense of responsibility extends? 

Work, and meaningful work in particular, play a huge part in mental health and wellbeing. A degree of stress can be good, but when it becomes chronic, that’s when issues arise. Working in a law firm can be emotionally demanding and when there are home pressures on top of that, it can be overwhelming.

A large portion of our managers are trained Mental Health First Aiders and while they can’t remove pressures entirely, they can listen or redirect the workload if needed. We have also worked to equip our employees with the tools to deal with stress in healthy ways.

Does the employer host workshops for staff around stress prevention etc?

While there isn’t a lot we can do to prevent stress, we can give employees tools to deal with stress in ways that build resilience. In the last five years or so, we had focused a lot on physical activity — we are a very physically active firm, from Couch to 5ks and good numbers taking part in the Cork City Marathon every year to sponsoring and taking part in the Dublin City Triathlon.

In 2024, we intentionally focused more on mental health. We increased the number of Mental Health First Aiders in each of the offices and introduced a number of new initiatives. We run mindfulness courses in each of the offices as well as weekly yoga classes. We introduced workshops on sleep, nutrition for high performance, and building resilience.

We still take part in the marathon, we have organised hikes during weekends, and we have sea swimming monthly, but with the introduction of more mental health-focused initiatives as well, like a book club in each office and volunteering opportunities, we hope there is something for everyone. This commitment has been recognised with the KeepWell Mark accreditation in wellness.

As we look ahead, the expectations of employees will continue to evolve. Businesses that fail to adapt will struggle to attract and retain the best talent. The business case for investing in workplace culture is clear: happier, healthier employees drive better outcomes. For RDJ, our journey as a B Corp and our investment in progressive policies are about building a workplace where people can truly thrive. 

More on RDJ's programmes 

RDJ provides Diversity Scholarship and Placement Programmes at UCC and University of Galway, helping law students from underrepresented backgrounds to build legal careers.

The firm has also enhanced workplace policies, introducing mental health initiatives, flexible work options, and progressive family-friendly policies, including paid leave around surrogacy, early-stage pregnancy loss, and fertility treatment.

RDJ has pioneered a mental health and wellbeing initiative in collaboration with the Law Society of Ireland, addressing the challenges faced by legal professionals.

RDJ joins a global network of over 9,500 companies across 160 industries, including more than 60 businesses headquartered in Ireland, who are using business as a force for good. B Corp Certification, administered by BLab™, is awarded to companies that meet rigorous benchmarks in governance, employee welfare, community impact, and environmental responsibility.