McMillan Shortlisted for Improvement of Mental Wellbeing in the Justice Sector

McMillan Shortlisted for Improvement of Mental Wellbeing in the Justice Sector

The Ontario Bar Association (OBA) has shortlisted McMillan LLP for the Orlando Da Silva Award for improvement of mental wellbeing in the justice sector. The firm has been nominated for the implementation of our new Associate Wellbeing Program, which is unique to McMillan and a first among law firms.

This program was developed in partnership with TELUS Health, as part of the firms’ robust wellness program and commitment to supporting the mental health of its people. “When we enacted this program, we took a vital step forward in proactively helping our young lawyers develop the tools and strategies early in their careers to proactively manage their mental health,” said Nisha Rider, National Director, Human Resources and Business Services. “We are honoured the program has been shortlisted for the Orlando Da Silva Award.”

Through this program, all of our more than 110 associates nationwide may receive no-cost assessments and personalized, unique plans and tools to support their mental wellbeing. The program can support them with their sleep optimization, workspace optimization, boundary setting and work-life balance, stress management, substance abuse support, cognitive support, energy optimization and more.

Seema Sidhu, an associate in our Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment practice and one of the firm’s nominators, said, “McMillan takes its commitment to its associates’ careers seriously. I am heartened to work at a firm which offers myself and all my colleagues highly personalized programs to further our mental resilience.”

By investing in this program, McMillan is setting a new standard for the legal industry to prioritize the mental health of our young lawyers. We intend to support our lawyers’ mental health and wellness and encourage conversations around them, in addition to providing unbiased, timely access to mental health professionals to address common stressors. This is to ensure we are providing programs, benefits and policies that are aligned with the needs of our firm members.

Currently in its inaugural year, the Orlando Da Silva Award is given to an individual or group for the invention, development or implementation of an initiative that is designed to improve the mental wellness of the legal profession in Ontario. The winner of the award will be announced on June 20^th at the OBA Awards Gala. Congratulations to all who were shortlisted for supporting mental wellbeing in the legal industry.