Breaking the Stigma: Conversations on Mental Health in the Legal Profession

By Abigale Carter

May 2025 marked Mental Health Awareness Month, and at HM3 Legal, we are proud to champion the importance of mental wellbeing within our community and among our employees.

We understand that wellbeing is a priority, not a perk and that creating a positive workplace culture where employees feel valued and supported makes good business sense. A survey by Realm Recruit found that unmanageable caseloads (57%) and lack of work/life balance (42%) are the top stressors. In May we created activities to help raise awareness of the stigma around talking about mental health, which the workplace and legal profession are particularly known for.

B Corp commitments and work-life balance initiatives

As a B Corp certified business, we are committed to meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, which includes our focus on employee wellbeing. Work-life balance is important to us. In addition to flexibility, 90% of our roles are hybrid working which is unusual in the legal profession.

We support our people with initiatives such as:

Heka benefit: Employees receive allowances for this health and wellbeing platform, providing access to hundreds of wellness experiences and products, including a virtual GP.
Weekly check-ins: An online tool which fosters open feedback, free-flowing ideas, improves employee engagement, performance and raises awareness of any concerns openly and honestly.

Research shows that adopting mental health positive initiatives in UK workplaces could return up to £370 billion annually. Benefits include improved employee retention, reduced absenteeism and presenteeism, and a boost in productivity—as well as looking after employees, wellbeing is a smart investment!

Supporting mental health with trained first aiders

We have trained Mental Health First Aiders offering support and signposting employees to specialist resources. Clare and Ian play a vital role in ensuring colleagues at HM3 have someone on hand to talk to, and importantly, they can be heard. Our Mental Health First Aiders provide a listening ear that creates the supportive workplace environment encouraging employees to feel comfortable enough to bring their whole selves to work.

External training equips our mental health first aiders to assist colleagues in navigating mental health challenges, fostering an environment where open conversations are encouraged and stigma of not speaking out about important issues is actively challenged.

4 HM3 Legal wellness activities:

According to a survey by Legatics, 92% of lawyers have experienced stress or burnout due to their job, with 25% experiencing it daily.

We are alarmed by such figures and do not believe this should be acceptable in the legal profession (or any other)! We prefer to directly address the topic. Our colleagues are encouraged to regularly embrace a variety of wellbeing-focused activities. Activities are designed to improve mental and physical wellbeing and reduce stress levels. Here are 4 activities employees were able to take part in.

1. Wellness Walks: Encouraging colleagues to leave their desks and enjoy lunchtime walks is popular! They promote taking time to reconnect with colleagues and nature, and exercise.

2. Crafty Club & Cake Break: We teamed up with students from the University of Chester for a collaborative “Cake Break” session, combining the joy of creativity with the comfort of community. Our Crafty Club made space for mindful moments and meaningful chats.

3. Mind Over Mountains Challenge: HM3 Legal was proud to sponsor adventurer and mental health advocate Alex Staniforth on his Snowdon climb. His awe-inspiring challenge is to summit all 446 mountain peaks in the UK for the charity Mind over Mountains. His journey highlights the power of nature in mental health recovery, an ethos we deeply admire and support.

4. HM3 Snowdon Challenge: Inspired by Alex’s mission, a team of HM3 employees laced up their boots and took on climbing Snowdon. It was more than a physical challenge—it was a symbol of our collective resilience, support, and commitment to pushing boundaries together.

Why prioritising Mental Health is important

These activities reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting mental health in the workplace and why these initiatives are important to business culture. When employees feel supported, businesses see real results: improved morale, increased engagement, and stronger performance. So, let’s carry this momentum forward, ensuring that mental wellbeing remains a priority throughout the year. Together, we can make a difference, one conversation, one walk, one climb at a time.

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