Leading West Midlands law firm Higgs LLP has been shortlisted for a prestigious award in recognition of its ongoing work to improve colleagues’ wellbeing.
Higgs LLP is a finalist in The Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards, which attracted more than 500 applications.
Higgs is in the running for the Wellbeing Team of the Year category accolade alongside prominent brands, including Bentley Motor Cars, E.ON and Wickes.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London on March 16.
Nikki Little , HR Business Partner at Higgs, said: “We are thrilled to be shortlisted in The Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards alongside some major businesses.
As a firm we are committed to looking after our people and making their wellbeing a top priority.
We have made huge strides in this area recently and this is recognition of that progress.”
Higgs launched a new Wellness Team at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in response to the seismic mental, physical and emotional challenges its people were facing.
The firm asked for volunteers to be trained as mental health first aiders and today has a team of 16 from all areas of the business, with more to be trained in the coming months.
The team meets every six weeks and organises regular ‘time to talk’ coffee and cake sessions as well as arranging external speakers talking around subjects such as loneliness, resilience, and financial awareness.
Higgs also works alongside local community groups such as the Black Country Blokes, which champions men’s mental health, and took part in a 22-mile charity walk to raise £2,700.
Nikki added: “Given the pressures and demands of working in law, we felt it was important to be more proactive in addressing mental ill-health concerns and we’re proud of the positive steps we have taken towards a healthier workforce.
“There is still a stigma around mental ill-health and some people may feel that they don’t want to speak to a supervisor or HR in case it appears as if they can’t cope. Having a network of mental health first aiders goes some way to addressing that problem.
“We believe it is really important that our first aiders represent all areas of the business and that mental health is being championed at the most senior level.
“Our training sessions for employees and managers give advice on recognising and treating health issues and our team are able to offer confidential support and signposting.”
Meanwhile, Higgs recently responded to the cost-of-living crisis by giving all employees a one-off £500 payment, arranging financial education sessions and launching a Hardship Fund for unexpected expenses.
Nikki said: “These are real, tangible examples of the measures we are taking to help ease the financial burden for our people. Hopefully people will learn financial skills and habits that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives, which can be really empowering.”
The Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards were founded last year by the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in partnership with industry expert Wellity Global to bring conversations around workplace standards to the fore, and give leaders in the wellbeing space a platform to inspire others.
Higgs LLP is a multi-disciplinary firm with leading lawyers in all areas, including business services, clinical negligence, dispute resolution and litigation, family, personal injury and property. Higgs LLP was recently awarded the Investors in People Silver accreditation.
