Introduction
Before I began managing a law firm, I was a registered nurse for many years,
working in specialty areas from emergency room to long-term care. My work ranged
from helping critically ill patients recover from major injuries, illnesses and
surgeries to coping with chronic diseases and debility. While working as a medical
consultant over the years, I have reviewed hundreds of files where the main questions
were, ‘Why did this person’s health fail and who, if anyone, is responsible?’ Some of
our clients in the firm where I currently work are badly injured, physically and mentally,
and we spend substantial amounts of time during representation steering them towards the
health care providers who can best care for their needs.
In running a law firm, however, there is often little thought given to physical
and mental health of employees. Attorneys and support staff work long hours,
sometimes not leaving their desks for extended periods. They share the same
recirculating air, and often when one person gets sick, several people more are
soon ailing. Stress and its close companions high blood pressure, obesity, and
substance abuse are major risk factors in the development of chronic health
conditions. The adversarial nature of the practice of law itself lends itself
to stress.
Managers should give regular consideration to the effects of the office environment
on employees’ health. Think about your office. What comes to mind? Perhaps you focus
on the expensive carpet, furnishings, or maybe the monthly rent. Or maybe you think
about office dynamics. How many employees were late or called in sick this week? Who
isn’t talking to whom? If you queried your staff, what adjectives would they use to
describe their home-away-from-home? Would their responses indicate that the office
experience contributes positively to their health? If not, read on.
Appearances Count
I’m not just talking about the importance of a good business address or an impressive
lobby. Given how influenced we are by our physical environments, the office should be
physically pleasing to those who spend a third of their lives there. Consider the following ideas:
Invest in an attractive seating area for new and established clients to look out the
window, talk quietly with each other, or speak on their cell phones. If possible, the
seating area should be away from the receptionist’s desk. Ringing phones make everyone
nervous.
Consult with employees about their ideal office arrangement: where do they want their desk,
filing cabinets, and even their waste baskets. Present new employees with a plant or two
(not the old ficus that’s been dying in the conference room for the last ten years.).
Make the initial investment of time and resources that tells employees you hope they will
stay for a long time. Appoint a cordial, well-informed employee as the “guide,” to whom the
new person can come with questions about protocols and systems. An office I know recently
hired a feng shui consultant who came in and gave advice about arranging desks and introducing
moving water to maximize a sense of calm and rapport with clients and co-workers.
Get Organized
It is a well researched premise that taking the time to organize one’s office results in
increased productivity, improves professional image, saves space, and pays for itself through
improved efficiency. It does more than that. For employees, it contributes to job satisfaction.
One of my favorite firms with a very busy litigation practice had a file room approximately
eight by ten feet in size. It was dark and housed client files, supplies, and evidence.
The central focus was, literally, a “leaning tower” of client binders. It was the black hole
of the office. I was given the task to organize it. Meeting with a professional organizer, we
identified the specific functional expectations for the room. After clearing out the “black hole,”
shelving and storage units were installed. Since it was an interior room, we used white throughout,
which not only lightened and brightened the space, but provided a welcoming environment. The staff
enjoyed going into the room. They could quickly and easily retrieve what they needed. That room was
the foundation for what has become one of the most precise organizational systems for legal client
documents I have encountered.
The result? Increased organization, productivity, and employee happiness. For office health,
that is a good thing. What systems could you reorganize?
The Noise Level
Sit in your office, eyes closed, and listen. What do you hear? Telephones ringing? A colleague
speaking at the level of double decibels? Loud laughter? Cell phones playing rock or rap? Cell
phones are disruptive in a professional working environment. I suggest creating an office policy
that cell phones, and their users, should be in “manner-mode” inside the office. Nix the loud
ringers and endless conversations. Similarly, loud laughter and extended chatter (you know who
you are) should be discouraged during working hours. Provide a place, such as the kitchen or
the break room, where employees can share stories or jokes, talk about the weekend or vacations.
Explain that beyond that particular door, the noise level should be kept to a minimum. Other
employees will appreciate knowing they can work uninterrupted.
Emotional Health
How would your office perform on a Rorschach for emotional health? Are associates fantasizing
about a terrible calamity befalling a partner? Do you find staff members arguing over inconsequential
matters? Are employees preoccupied with personal agendas? It only takes one of these situations to
lead your office to a state of turmoil.
If morale is very poor and you do not feel equipped to resolve the internal conflicts, consider
bringing in a trained, skilled workplace mediator. The cost of a mediator can range from a couple
hundred dollars for a community-based mediation service to several thousand dollars for a private
mediator. While mediations are not always successful, a good mediator can get important conversations
started between people who have not so much as looked at each other without contempt for the six months.
Absent those exigent circumstances, a manager can take many affirmative steps intended to foster
collegiality. I consider a balance of rules and flexibility as the two touchstones for office civility.
Rules are things like “Don’t leave food in the refrigerator for longer than a week,” “Don’t post
passive-aggressive signs in the kitchen saying things like ‘your mother doesn’t work here,” and “If you
use a lot of paper in the copier, replace it.” Flexibility means accepting the fact that the first
fifteen minutes of the working day will never be the most productive. It means acknowledging that on
any given day it is likely that several employees are experiencing significant personal stress and may
not be at their peak performance. Allowances must be made.
If the rules aren’t excessively rigid and a manager’s flexibility is not seen as weakness, you have a
good chance of maximizing employee satisfaction. Be careful when distributing anything in writing.
When you communicate with employees in writing, your messages should be stated in a neutral, unthreatening
way. Emphasize the positive when possible. Demeaning, condescending, or derogatory messages should not be
tolerated — from anyone. Employees should be made to understand in no uncertain terms that rudeness
to other employees will not be permitted any more than rudeness to clients.
Employee Recognition
Mark Twain said “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” The cost of employee recognition is minimal
and the results will surprise you. There are many ways to express staff appreciation. You may decide to
institute some type of recognition program, perhaps on a monthly basis, tied to a small financial incentive.
Or consider placing a box somewhere in the office where employees can compliment their co-workers on an anonymous
basis. Talk about the results at a weekly or monthly meeting. Send a brief handwritten note, or e-mail (if you
must), expressing a sincere thank you. Provide an educational opportunity such as special training or a continuing
education course in which an employee has expressed interest. Once employees realize that their contributions are
being noticed, they will perform at higher levels and with increased enthusiasm.
Social Health
Does your office provide opportunities to boost the social well being of its employees? If you don’t,
another employer will. Flexible schedules for mothers or fathers with responsibility for young children
and/or aging parents, one day a week of telecommuting, or a couple of paid personal days off a year can
contribute significantly to job satisfaction and job performance. Taking a birthday celebration beyond
the “community” birthday card and providing employees with a paid birthday holiday speaks loud and clear
about the importance of an employee’s well being. An office birthday celebration, replete with cake and
ice cream, is a fun and inexpensive means of building trust and collegiality.
It’s also good business to make an effort to “know” your employees. Notice the personal items they bring
to their work place, be it photos, art work, or sports memorabilia. These items can provide an excuse for
a chat, creating a connection between you and a particular office employee.
Some office-sponsored events should take place “sans-boss,” which may seem counterintuitive, but people
are more likely to relax when they don’t believe they are being observed by their supervisors, and a
boss-attended event can become just one more item on the job description list.
Be creative. Institute a Friday afternoon wine tasting with several types of cheeses and crackers; provide
an occasional continental breakfast; or have lunch delivered once a month. Be sure to let your staff know
when an event is pending so they can plan accordingly.
Prevention
Over the past several years, we have seen a significant shift in emphasis within the medical community
from treating illness to preventing it. Most offices provide the essential health aids such as Band-Aids
and Tylenol. Consider going a step further and providing antibacterial hand soap in the kitchen and
bathroom, and good quality Kleenex at every desk. Place anti-bacterial hand cleansers at strategic
points throughout the office, including the file room, conference room, by telephones, and at any
seating arrangement where the shaking of hands is likely to occur. Consider adopting a policy that
supports employees staying home if they have a temperature over, say, 100 degrees, a productive cough,
or have been vomiting in the last twelve hours. Limiting one-on-one exposure, hand-to-hand contact, and
the transmission of airborne bacteria within the office will have a significant impact on employee health,
resulting in reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, job satisfaction, and, ultimately, office morale.
Conclusion
A sick office can squeeze the life out of employees, negatively impact the business itself, and drive
away clients. A good employee who feels dissatisfied on account of poor morale will eventually look
elsewhere for employment. Alternatively, employees develop a sense of loyalty to their job and the
organization as a whole when they feel their contributions are valued and appreciated. You may be
surprised at the extra spring in your own step, as well.
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