Mayer Brown’s London office managing partner Dominic Griffiths has defended the firm’s policy protecting associates from workplace interruptions during their holidays.
Griffiths told City AM that when he introduced the policy three years ago, competitors were openly critical of the initiative.
“When I introduced that policy [three years ago], there were one or two partners in rival law firms who deliberately criticised it,” Griffiths said, describing the rule as straightforward common sense.
The policy is simple: only contact staff on holiday if they hold information that is genuinely critical to a matter, and otherwise leave them to rest undisturbed.
Griffiths acknowledged the scepticism from rivals, noting that “people should be careful in glass houses… ‘Oh, clearly [Dom] Griffiths has a massive problem in his law firm if he’s having to look after people like that.'”
He added, however, that there have since been “one or two awful circumstances that have forced others to take mental health more seriously,” suggesting attitudes across the sector are slowly shifting.
Griffiths, a long-standing advocate for mental health in the legal profession, argued that denial is not a viable strategy for law firms facing these pressures.
“There’s no point in people saying, ‘We’re perfect, and it’s all fine, and we’re not going to have a problem,'” he said, warning that “one in four of us will have a mental health episode in our working lives at some stage.”
Research from LawCare underlines the scale of the challenge, with nearly 60 per cent of legal sector respondents reporting poor mental wellbeing and 44 per cent saying work significantly affects their health.
The same report found that over three-quarters of legal professionals, 78.7 per cent, work beyond their contracted hours, while 8.5 per cent estimate they work an additional 21 hours per week above their contracted time.
Griffiths recently became the first non-US member of Mayer Brown’s global management committee, giving him a platform to “promulgate the views and successes” achieved in London.
He said his core priority remains straightforward: “Most importantly to me is creating an environment where people feel comfortable working here.”
The firm has moved to broaden its support offering, entering two new partnerships last month with suicide prevention charity Baton of Hope and school counselling organisation Place2Be.
The Baton of Hope partnership is designed to “support people who have suicidal thoughts and introduce the subject into the workplace,” bringing difficult conversations into professional settings.
Mayer Brown has also enlisted the wellness programme Heka, giving staff access to ADHD and autism assessments, gym memberships, massages, and spa treatments as part of a broader benefits package.
Backup care services, including childcare and pet-walking, round out the offer, with Griffiths noting that “there are a number of people who’ve used those things and said it was a lifesaver, including finding a dog walker within 12 hours.”
The firm is also reviewing its approach to paternity leave, with Griffiths observing that “a lot more of our male employees taking paternity leave” reflects a broader shift in how care responsibilities are shared.
Current paternity leave at the firm stands at the standard UK two weeks, but Griffiths confirmed the policy “is under review at the moment,” signalling potential changes ahead.