MADRID 7 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Madrid Bar Association (ICAM) has distributed to law firms and legal professionals a complete mental health kit with the aim of raising awareness in the legal sector of the importance of addressing the comprehensive well-being of people and, above all, offering concrete solutions. of prevention.
Among its contents, it includes a ‘Digital Disconnection Plan’ for legal professionals and a good practices guide aimed at law firm and human resources managers.
In addition, to help those who feel or detect in their colleagues symptoms of extreme fatigue and constant exhaustion, alterations in work performance, irritability and behavioral changes, isolation, demotivation, insomnia, difficulty managing stress or physical discomfort without apparent cause, the ICAM has prepared a ‘Psychological First Aid Manual’ that includes guidelines for acting early and preventively at the first signs indicative of a mental health problem.
All of this is included in the ‘ICAM Mental Health Kit’, a briefcase that emulates first aid kits and contains these educational documents that will also be available in their online versions on the ICAM Cortina Foundation website.
“The comprehensive well-being of legal professionals is an absolute priority. With initiatives like this campaign we are promoting a culture of prevention and support that benefits both lawyers and firms. As a College we cannot remain impassive when six out of ten Lawyers tell us that they suffer from anxiety and almost half have experienced fatigue, negative and depressing thoughts and emotional disturbances,” says the Dean of ICAM and president of its Foundation, Eugenio Ribón.
ACTION PLAN AGAINST HYPERCONNECTIVITY
One of the innovative materials in this ‘Kit’ is the ‘Digital Disconnection Plan’ that seeks to counteract the effects of hyperconnectivity that increasingly affects legal professionals.
The Plan includes clear guidelines for achieving work-life balance, starting with setting clear boundaries on work hours. Because, according to the document, “far from improving productivity, the blurring of the boundaries between work and personal life causes cognitive overload that prevents lawyers from making complex decisions clearly.”
Therefore, among the most notable recommendations is trying to limit the use of email outside of working hours, encouraging regular breaks and restricting remote access to work platforms outside of established hours.
Likewise, the plan suggests measures to turn technology into an ally at the service of disconnection, such as automating responses to emails outside of working hours, the use of tools that allow deactivating notifications on mobile devices or the use of systems time management and access limiters.
The ICAM document also includes guidelines for action in emergency situations that require the intervention of lawyers outside of working hours.
For these cases, a system of rotating guards is proposed, where only one professional is available to attend to possible emergencies, thus avoiding overloading the entire team. Furthermore, it is suggested to establish a protocol to determine when it is necessary to interrupt a lawyer’s rest, ensuring that these interventions are exceptional.
Isabel Winkels, vice dean of ICAM, highlights that “the objective is to raise awareness and offer effective tools that allow lawyers to balance their work and personal lives, reducing the effects of the hyperconnectivity in which we all live.”
THE ROLE OF OFFICES AND HR MANAGERS
The ICAM mental health kit also includes a good practices guide aimed at managers of offices and human resources departments, based on the premise that a healthy work environment is crucial not only for the well-being of employees, but also for the success and productivity of organizations.
For this purpose, the importance of continuous training on topics related to mental health, such as the early identification of emotional problems and stress management, is referred to.
In addition, the implementation of flexible work policies is suggested, which allow employees to manage their professional and personal responsibilities in a more balanced way.
The creation of open and accessible communication channels is also promoted, so that employees can express their concerns confidentially and safely.
The guide places special emphasis on the responsibility of office leaders and human resources managers, who must pay attention to the behavioral changes of their employees and foster an environment of support and understanding.
Among other measures, it recommends implementing periodic surveys to evaluate the work environment and mental health of the teams, and designing assistance and well-being programs that include psychological services for workers.
In addition to describing the main warning signs when detecting mental health problems among employees, such as withdrawal, irritability, lack of concentration, absenteeism or apathy, the guide outlines a preventive strategy in which, among other guidelines , managers of legal firms with more than three employees are encouraged to participate in the Bienestar Despachos program promoted by the ICAM Cortina Foundation, about to launch its second edition, and in whose first promotion managers from firms of the caliber of Uría Menéndez, Pérez-Llorca, Clifford Chance, Ashurst, ECIJA or Ceca Magán.
“It is essential that both professionals, offices and human resources managers take proactive measures to take care of the mental health of their teams,” he points out.