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Felicity Nelson
Telstra Group is one of the first companies with an in-house legal team to sign a new set of guidelines to address psychological wellbeing in the profession.
The Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation (TJMF) Psychological Wellbeing: Best Practice Guidelines were released in May this year and, so far, over 50 organisations have become signatories.
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Westpac Group and Leighton Contractors are the only other companies with in-house teams to have signed the Guidelines.
Telstra general counsel Carmel Mulhern (pictured) said, “Too often and for too long the legal profession has not done enough to address issues like workplace stress and pressure.
“We are adding the TJMF Guidelines to our suite of initiatives [to] encourage success through diversity, flexible working, support structures and maintaining a life outside of work.”
The TJMF guidelines were created in response to findings that more than a quarter of barristers, a third of solicitors and almost half of all law students are at a high or very high risk of suffering from a diagnosable mental illness.
The guidelines cover 13 psychosocial factors that put lawyers at risk of high levels of stress and mental illness. They recommend workplace practices that can improve the psychological health and wellbeing of legal professionals.
TJMF board director Jeremy Hyman welcomed Telstra's decision to sign up to the guidelines.
“Demonstrated support for the guidelines is good for business and good for people,” he said.
