Sydney, 22 November 2011: The Australian Human Resources Institute has recognised Clayton Utz and other top-tier law firms for their leadership and collaboration in developing the [email protected] initiative to address the issue of mental health in the legal profession.
The [email protected] initiative won the Martin Seligman Award for Health and Wellbeing at the 2011 Australian Human Resources Institute Awards held in Melbourne on 17 November. The Award recognises the most outstanding initiative and strategy to promote the health and wellbeing of employees in the workplace.
An initiative of top-tier law firms Clayton Utz, Allens Arthur Robinson, Blake Dawson, Freehills and Mallesons Stephen Jaques, together with theThe College of Law, [email protected] was launched last year to raise awareness and understanding of the nature and impact of stress, depression and anxiety across the legal profession in Australia.
The [email protected] initiative includes the [email protected] DVD, a short film in which lawyers openly discuss their personal struggles with mental health issues, and a collaboration with The College of Law on a new component of practical legal training, focused on mental health and resilience for lawyers at the threshold of their careers. Some of the initiatives Clayton Utz has undertaken as part of its participation in the initiative include the development of a firm-wide [email protected] intranet site, the introduction of Mental Health First Aid training for Human Resources staff, and the inclusion of [email protected] sessions into the firm's induction program, which includes the screening of the [email protected] DVD.