Wellbeing at A&O Shearman
More than just a place to work
We care about supporting both colleagues and clients to excel, in and out of work. We have nurtured an environment and ways of working that are designed to optimise wellbeing, and support our people to look after themselves and lead fulfilled lives.
Mental wellbeing
We recognise that life can unfold in ways that cause us to experience emotional or stress-related difficulties. To support you, we offer different resources and tools to help you look after your mental health.
- AXA Health Stronger Minds pathway
- Counselling through employee assistance programmes
- Trained mental health allies and champions present in many offices
- Free access to wellbeing apps Headspace and Unmind
Minds matter
Our mental health advocates and allies are a team made up of Partners and senior support professionals across our global network. They are committed to sponsoring our Minds Matter programme through normalising conversations around mental health and championing workplace practices that support positive mental health.
And to support our colleagues and guide them to available resources, we have more than 300 trained mental health allies worldwide.
We promote positive wellbeing and psychological safety
Wellbeing is essential to a high-performance culture – our people need to be at their best to perform and to feel fulfilled. This extends beyond the work itself—ensuring ample rest, fostering motivating interactions, and creating a welcoming environment where everyone can bring their full selves to work.
By building strong community networks, we support each other and cultivate a sense of belonging, empowering everyone to reach their highest potential. And to do this, we promote positive engagements through our ways of working that are designed for wellbeing:
- Local wellbeing plans in every office, reviewed and reported by Office Heads.
- 40+ mental health advocates in leadership positions promote local wellbeing initiatives.
- Fair allocation of work to prevent disproportionate burden.
- Signatory of the Mindful Business Charter, implementing stress-reducing practices.
- 60/40 hybrid working policy for collaboration, learning, and flexibility.
We encourage open conversations
We encourage everyone to speak openly about their wellbeing and to always seek to help anyone who is struggling. That’s why we set up our global wellbeing advisory board, a group of partners who help to shape our wellbeing strategy, influence our leaders and report on progress against our wellbeing objectives.We provide access to education and training:
• Sharing personal wellbeing stories to reduce stigma about health challenges.
• Regular wellbeing events and webinars led by experts and celebrities.
• Webinars and programmes covering physical, financial, and mental wellbeing topics.
• Wellbeing modules in core development programmes.
• Online training available on-demand through Unmind app and learning portal.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Belong. Excel. These aren’t words on a page. For us, they are inseparable, non-negotiable cornerstones that support everything we do and achieve as a business.
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Law Career Guide
Whether you’re applying to A&O Shearman, or any other law firm, this hub will provide you with advice, tips and key information on application processes, interview prep, and assessment days.
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