Magic circle firm Linklaters is to trial a digital platform it hopes will create recommendations for improving the wellbeing of its lawyers and staff.

At a time of growing attention to mental health in the workplace, the firm said it wants to create a ‘meaningful benefit’ to employees.

Starting later this month 50 staff members will complete a wellbeing questionnaire on the BetterSpace web app. BetterSpace is a start-up that says it wants to ‘turn the tide’ on mental illness by developing a world-leading wellbeing recommendation engine. An algorithm in the app makes recommendations on steps individuals should take to support their mental health.

As Linklaters will be the first business to complete the trial, what recommendations the app will come up with are not known but the Gazette understands it could include suggestions on whether to focus on sleep, exercise or social connections, and how best to go about it.

Nick Syson, partner at Linklaters, said: ‘Over the years we’ve invested in a variety of resources to support wellbeing within the firm. We’re now looking at how we extend our efforts to protecting good mental health and building resilience. We believe BetterSpace can help with this.’

Jim Woods, chief executive of BetterSpace, said: ‘People who want to proactively manage their mental health often face challenges in identifying which aspect of their life they should focus on and the solutions they should consider. These uncertainties create barriers to uptake which can be removed by our recommendation algorithm. We’re grateful to Linklaters and its employees for trialling our platform.’

The three-month trial will begin in the London office on 25 October.