Modern Families Project Helping To Make Law Firm More Inclusive

As part of its commitment to inclusion and helping employees better cope with the challenges of modern life, national law firm Irwin Mitchell is addressing the issue of infertility, with the help of BBC journalist Sophie Sulehria. 

The Radio 4 journalist will be delivering a talk at the firm’s London office, on 9 May which will be broadcast to staff in 12 other UK offices, about her experience with infertility and coping when life doesn’t turn out as planned.

Sophie, who suffered multiple IVF failures with her husband Jonny, documented her experience of exploring alternative parenting options for The PM Programme last year. During the series the couple looked at donor conception, adoption, coping as a partner, fostering to adopt, overseas adoption, and a life without children. The full series is available to listen to here.  

Approximately 3.5 million people in the UK have trouble conceiving naturally. Around 50,000 of these people seek help from fertility doctors every year, yet IVF is only successful for around 25% of them.

Sophie said: “It’s heart-breaking, trying to start a family and not being able to.  We never considered we’d be in this position when we first started planning a family. Throughout all of this we were both holding down high pressured jobs, while it felt like everyone around us was having children. That’s why Jonny and I decided to share our story - in the hope it would help others feel less alone.  We wanted others to consider their own situation, and be aware of the help available to them.”

Irwin Mitchell has arranged the talk as part of its Modern Families initiative which was launched in 2017, in recognition of the changing needs of employees in terms of workplace culture and balancing home life with a career.

The firm has been encouraging colleagues to share the challenges they face and solutions used to overcome them to help tackle sensitive subjects, reduce stigmas and be free to bring the whole of themselves into the workplace.

Sarah Wallace, who heads up the firm’s Regulatory and Criminal Investigations Group, launched Modern Families through Irwin Mitchell’s networking and support group for gender related issues, IM Powered.

Sarah said: 

Over the last six months the firm has been featuring events discussing work/life balance, long commutes, parental responsibilities, family planning for same sex couples or single people, co-parenting and single parenthood, as well as caring for  disabled or unwell children, parents or relatives. 

The firm has provided improved support for employees who are coping with the effects of miscarriages and are preparing to train volunteers throughout the business as mental health first aiders.

Irwin Mitchell has also been sharing case studies of colleagues, with and without parental responsibilities, who are making the most of the firm’s flexible and agile working policies to help improve work/life balance.

Over the next 12 months the firm are also hosting a series of lunch time talks with speakers from Parental Choice Ltd. The talks will cover different aspects of parenting covering the cost of child care, body image and educating children on the risks associated with technology and sexual exploitation.