Lead and Learn
Miylie Roan, HR Generalist at Lawline
Nov. 29, 2023
Lawline is a leading online continuing legal education (CLE) platform for attorneys. The company offers over 1,900 high-quality, engaging courses taught by expert legal professionals, including an AI Learning Assistant for viewers to ask questions and receive reliable responses. Lawline helps professionals stay current on legal updates and trends by adopting a modern, innovative, and convenient approach to accessing learning courses at any time.
Fringe Benefits
Internally, as an organization, we've achieved 100% employee engagement with our Fringe program by consistently reminding our team about the diverse options available on the Fringe website. We feature employees who have utilized specific benefits in our monthly company newsletter and through engaging videos featuring the many options on our internal learning platform.
The Fringe Benefits program offers additional perks to our employees. Lawline provides employees $1,200 annually through the Fringe.us program, which they can use for various items. For instance, many employees capitalize on credits for Uber Eats and DoorDash, enjoying up to $200 off their meal orders. Some other common utilizations are hotel stays, flights, master class programs, and assistance with student loan payments.
Operating as a remote workforce presents unique communication challenges. Without regular face-to-face interactions, some team members can be unaware of the full extent of benefits that Lawline provides, leading to underutilization. We must ensure that every employee remains well-informed. To navigate this, we are actively exploring effective and engaging methods to keep everyone updated on all the available benefits. We want to make sure everyone's in the loop to utilize these helpful options and resources our company provides.
With employees spread across the US, we have tailored our benefits to accommodate the diverse accessibility of every state, ensuring fairness and relevancy for all team members.
Mental Health
At Lawline, we strongly emphasize the mental health and well-being of our team members. To ensure employees receive help in a timely fashion, we have partnered with Talkspace, Teledoc, and Health Advocate for accessible virtual therapy sessions. Our innovative "The Journal that Talks Back" partnership with Frame of Mind allows employees to engage in personal journaling and receive feedback from a trained coach. In collaboration with HR and our Minority Employee Resource Group, we regularly host "safe space" sessions, creating an open forum for employees to discuss various topics in a nurturing environment.
Our employees, known as “Lawliners,” love our Summer Fridays, which allows them a positive work-life balance by letting them finish up at 1 pm. With so many people traveling and spending time outdoors during the summer, it's a nice way to balance work and play, which is good for our mental health.
Lastly, to reduce workplace stress further, we've implemented no-meeting Wednesdays and periodic no-meeting weeks, allowing our team to focus deeply on tasks without meetings that could have been emailed.
We also offer regular support sessions led by our Chief People Officer, where employees can discuss various topics, including real-world issues, and we support working parents through flexibility and understanding. To further promote mental health and well-being, we host virtual events focused on raising awareness and offer employee-to-employee support on best practices, allowing us to learn from each other. Our team has shown a deep appreciation for these support sessions and has expressed a wish for more. In 2020, our Chief People Officer led 8 of these gatherings. This initiative has since evolved into a regular event where Lawliners can discuss real-world challenges in a supportive environment. For clarity, our first session was titled "Rose Bud Thorn Support Session,” where we each got a chance to share our "ROSE" (highlight from the previous week), "BUD" (what we're excited about for the upcoming week), and "THORN" (the toughest part of the last week). Over time, the sessions expanded to cover non-COVID-related topics, such as the struggle after mass shootings, as well as giving and receiving feedback. We aim to keep providing more of these beneficial sessions in the future.
They particularly value the safe space to freely express their thoughts and emotions among peers without fear of judgment.
At Lawline, we grant employees three mental health days each year to promote self-care and recharge. Unlike regular sick days, these are specifically for those times when an employee feels the need for a day off spontaneously, without having to give prior notice or explain why to their manager.
Program Advice
If you're aiming to develop a physical workspace for your team, it's essential to maintain an open-minded and adaptable approach. Prioritize building a foundation of trust and acceptance of vulnerability, as it encourages employees to come forward as their genuine selves, enhancing their productivity and commitment. Always remember that each employee brings a unique life perspective and experiences to the table. Therefore, flexibility isn't just a perk but a necessity to cater to your employees' diverse needs and circumstances.
Transitioning from an in-person role where I worked over 40 hours a week into a remote position at Lawline, which prioritizes employee wellness, required a significant shift in my mindset. Initially, I believed that longer hours equated to a higher value, but I've since realized the work quality matters most. At Lawline, I've learned that it's entirely possible to deliver excellent results while prioritizing self-care.
Employee wellness is changing in major ways. One of the biggest shifts I have noticed is that people are taking charge of their self-care. With the millennial and Gen Z generations, we are seeing a mindset shift from overworking and always being “on'' to scheduling time for breaks, recharging, and saying no to things that will impact their wellness negatively. We saw this through the rise of remote working. I think we're moving towards blending our work and personal lives in a good way rather than trying to balance them like they are on opposite sides.
