Herbert Smith Freehills supports its employees’ physical and mental health through a wellbeing fund, which is part of its benefits programme.
Operating from 24 offices across the Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and North America regions, the law firm employs 4,000 lawyers and has a total workforce of nearly 5,000 employees.
The fund provides all of its 1,800 UK employees with £750 per annum towards the cost of activities and lessons to support their physical and mental wellbeing. This includes gym membership, smoking cessation, physiotherapy, counselling, dance classes, yoga, rock climbing, massages, skiing classes, and more.
The firm introduced the wellbeing fund in response to feedback from employees stating that their wellbeing was important to them both at work and at home, explains David Perkins, reward and benefits manager at Herbert Smith Freehills.
“Instead of a traditional benefit, we felt that a fund would provide greater flexibility and control for the individual to choose the benefits that best suit their lifestyle and their preferences, and we have seen this in a wide range of activities and classes that people have claimed,” he says.
Other health and fitness benefits that the firm offers include a bikes-for-work scheme, dental insurance, health screening, and an employee assistance programme that gives employees access to eight face-to-face counselling sessions per issue, unlimited telephone and text counselling and a variety of resources on all areas of wellbeing.
The introduction of the wellbeing fund enhances the firm’s existing private medical insurance and ensures it supports a diverse population across a range of different life events. It offers fully funded cover to all employees and their families at every level of seniority.
All employees, whether they work solely in the office, remotely or as part of a hybrid model, have equal access to the entirety of the firm’s wellbeing benefits.
Herbert Smith Freehills ensures that it offers what its staff need and want by regularly assessing take up levels across its benefits and programmes. It then combines this data analysis with regular employee surveys to determine which benefits are most likely to be used.
“Supporting employees so that they are able to do their best work is not just right for the firm and for our workforce; it is the right thing to do,” Perkins says. “We invest in the things that make life easier, that people value and that support all aspects of maintaining wellbeing because by recognising human needs, collectively we can be bolder and outstanding in what we do.”