As jobs go, working at a magic circle law firm seems quite full on. With most newly-qualified solicitors earning more than £100,000 and with revenue in the billons, Obiter suspects the office sleep-pods got heavy use before the pandemic hit.

However, in a bid to maintain the mental health of its workforce, Linklaters is encouraging its lawyers to swap billable hours for watercolour kits, hypnotherapy and yoga classes. All UK employees and partners have been given a £300 allowance to spend on things that are good for the mind via a ‘personal wellbeing concierge’ – otherwise known as an app.

‘It is more important than ever that we nurture our physical and mental wellbeing and we hope that the BetterSpace app will support our people in doing just that,’ said Nick Syson, Linklaters’ health and wellbeing partner. ‘We are proud of our culture of being open, positive and proactive about mental health and to be championing the next frontier in employee wellbeing support.’

The app offers a range of services and products, including balance boards, knitting kits, Kintsugi – which involves repairing broken ceramic with resin and gold powder – and weighted blankets.

While Obiter suspects that lawyers might struggle to fit Japanese pottery repairs into their work schedules, a weighted blanket could be a wise investment. Afterall, when offices re-open later this month, the sleep pods are bound to get booked up.

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