How to Support Employee Wellbeing in the Legal Sector

The legal profession is demanding by nature: long hours, heavy workloads and high client expectations often come at the expense of employee wellbeing. Stress and burnout have become defining challenges for many firms, threatening retention, performance and long-term sustainability.

As new ways of working reshape expectations, wellbeing is now recognised as a strategic necessity for law firms, directly influencing retention and performance, along with client service as a direct result. Law firms that fail to act risk losing talent and undermining client service, while those that invest in creating the right physical, social and psychological environments are building stronger, more resilient teams.

Workplace design is a powerful tool in this effort. By shaping environments that support focus, connection and recovery, firms can create offices that actively protect employee health and foster sustainable performance. This article explores how the working environment, mental health support and work-life balance can all be strengthened through design.

Many law firms are adapting their offices to integrate agile working alongside traditional private offices and meeting rooms. For example, Boult Wade Tennant embraced agile working to create a more diverse and collaborative environment while still catering to focused, individual tasks. This approach demonstrates how legal workplaces can evolve without undermining the confidentiality their work demands.

Designated breakout spaces are equally important. Positioning these in prime locations, such as near natural light, gives employees inviting alternatives to their desks. Breakout zones encourage movement, informal interaction and mental recovery, which in turn boost productivity. By creating spaces where people can step away without disrupting colleagues, firms enable healthier, more sustainable ways of working.

Office design has a direct role to play. Inclusive environments that encourage openness and provide restorative spaces can help reduce stigma while giving staff the tools to manage stress. Key features include:

• Biophilic design: Natural materials, greenery, and access to daylight have been shown to improve mood and productivity. Positioning shared areas near windows ensures more staff benefit from natural light throughout the day.
• Dedicated wellness spaces: Wellness rooms, quiet pods, or areas for yoga and meditation give employees places to step away, reset, and return to work with better focus.
• Thoughtful layouts: Centralised circulation, balanced acoustics, and variety in settings support concentration and reduce the fatigue that comes from constant pressure.

By weaving these design elements into their offices, law firms can promote healthier work patterns and encourage staff to speak openly about wellbeing. The result is a culture where mental health is supported both physically and socially in the workplace.

Embracing new working models to encourage a better balance not only reduces the risk of losing valuable team members, but also makes your firm more appealing to new talent.

Many legal companies already have agile working strategies in place and a flexible working environment provides employees with greater choice of workspace. Agile working practices cater to a wide range of working styles and foster open communication and collaboration. With remote working carrying less of a stigma than in the past, giving employees the freedom to choose how they work will help optimise their performance and give them more flexibility during the working work.