Our Employees

Henry Davis York is committed to operating an environmentally responsible business. We take steps to minimise our environmental footprint through continuous improvement programs that reduce energy, resource use and waste disposal. People are our most important resource.

Henry Davis York devotes considerable attention to the effective management of its people to ensure they are engaged in their work within a supportive environment and are appropriately recognised and rewarded for their contribution.

We rely upon a talented, professional and dedicated workforce that is fundamental to remain competitive in the marketplace. However, with modern day pressures, the practice of commercial law can significantly endanger and degrade the effectiveness and wellbeing of employees, which in turn, directly impacts upon the sustainability of the business.

Keeping employees engaged

We have a number of formal and informal engagement mechanisms to tap into the views and concerns of employees. These include annual performance reviews, regular practice group and secretarial co-ordinator meetings, and biannual employee surveys. There are also regular meetings between employees and their supervisors, as well as meetings between staff and the People & Development department. Exit interviews capture the views of employees leaving the firm.

We use feedback from our employees to identify specific development needs and to shape and support strategy in conjunction with the firm's objectives.

Culture, Leadership and Communication

Our culture-focused initiative "People Spirit Excellence - Imagine what we can achieve together" was launched in 2008 to align the firm's culture with employee expectations.

The program was implemented and tailored by each of our practice groups and followed up with internal and external surveys. The surveys confirmed that Henry Davis York has a high level of employee engagement. Participants also ranked us highly for our flexible work arrangements, culture, positive work environment and leadership style.

Health, Well-being and Safety

Partners and employees at HDY acknowledge that a healthy work/life balance is a core component of the firm's ethos. With 70% of its workforce in the 20 - 39 age bracket, HDY has many employees with young families and other responsibilities that create significant challenges in prioritising time and availability. Feedback on work/life balance at the firm, gained through the recent employee survey and benchmarked against other law firms, indicated that the firm is performing well on this parameter. In addition, an external survey of people working in the legal sector indicated that HDY's flexible work arrangements are one of its key "brand differentiators".

Equal Opportunity and Work Flexibility

A central tenet of Henry Davis York's culture is the promotion and realisation of gender equality in its workforce. We have the only female managing partner in an Australian law firm.

We also meet Government reporting requirements for equal opportunity by keeping detailed information on gender balance across all areas of the business.

In recent years the percentage of female partners at the firm has continued to increase with the composition changing from 13% female in 2005 to 24% female in 2010.

For further information on Henry Davis York's employee initiatives please refer to our 2009 Sustainability Report  or contact Kelvin O'Connor or Deborah Stonley.