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Tech critical for managing staff wellness
“We live in a digital world,” one firm COO said, and embracing new platforms is the best way for SME practices to better cater to the idiosyncratic needs of individual legal professionals.
Jerome Doraisamy
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wellbeing of staff in law firms has been “magnified”, particularly for those practices with offices in Melbourne, where citizens endured 262 days of lockdown, Cornwalls chief operating officer Sofie Filippone mused.
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In conversation with Lawyers Weekly, Ms Filippone (pictured) said that her firm’s “ongoing commitment” to wellness and safety meant seeking out new and innovative ways to better manage the mental health of all staff.
For her firm, this ultimately meant partnering with tech-driven platform Sonder, which she said helps “deliver the right mix of human and technology support for all our staff accessible 24/7”.
When asked why more substantive engagement with tech platforms is necessary to better accommodate the unique needs of legal professionals – particularly at a time when remote and flexible working is more mainstream – Ms Filippone said that, as a firm, those at Cornwalls need to “constantly remind ourselves of the digital agenda, that new technologies have revolutionised nearly every aspect of human existence”.
“As a firm, we need to be abreast of these developments that will allow us to provide a better equipped workforce geared to champion our people’s wellness. Embracing technology to aid with best wellness practices is paramount,” she proclaimed.
“We want our staff to address and share real concerns, including those directly correlated with the workplace, both in a safe and confidential space and without the fear of judgment.”
Tech-based platforms, Ms Filippone continued, recognise that all wellbeing issues are interconnected, and as such, firms must take a holistic approach across safety, medical and mental health instead of solely focusing on mental health.
The legal profession, and the broader marketplace, will not return to pre-pandemic conditions, she posited.
“Our working world has shifted, and the way we view and manage well-being and safety has to change with it. Traditional EAPs may be a good starting point, but they don’t necessarily reach remote workers or those who are isolated from the workplace,” she argued.
“We live in a digital world; immediacy in the availability of most services is expected, which extends to our people’s safety and wellbeing in the workplace. Digital applications developed to manage wellness are a must.”
As COO, Ms Filippone said that she is “proud that Cornwalls has taken the approach to engage an innovative tech-enhanced Australian-based provider to keep staff wellbeing at the forefront”.
“We are the first law firm in Australia to engage with Sonder, and it speaks volumes in the firm’s commitment to ensuring staff well-being and safety is not just a tick and flick process but an ongoing investment in our people,” she surmised.
