Disability Support at Herbert Smith Freehills

We recognise the importance of being a disability inclusive employer.

In a recent global audit, 18% of our people reported having experienced a disability in the last five years and one in ten considered themselves to have a disability, injury or long-term health condition.

We recognise the importance of being a disability inclusive employer, and our Ability Network provides a forum for communication, peer support and education, which is key to achieving this aim.

In 2021, we launched a new global commitment to adjustments ensuring that we recognise the personalised needs of our people, including applicants, and offer tailored adjustments, whether physical or non-physical.

In 2020, we signed up to the Valuable 500 – a global movement of leading organisations committed to putting disability inclusion on the business agenda. As part of this we committed to:

Improving access to and understanding of workplace adjustments
Empowering, educating and providing support that enables all of our people to talk openly about mental health;
Champion the recruitment and retention of those with autism; and
Ensuring our workplace is more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities.

We are also members of PurpleSpace and IncludeAbility - a group of leading organisations convened by the Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner

Ability Network

Our Ability Network is focused on building disability confidence throughout the firm, encouraging a better understanding of disability and influencing policies and practices in becoming an employer of choice for those with a disability. In 2020, we signed up to the Valuable 500 in line with our commitment to championing global disability inclusion within and beyond the firm.

Most recently, the Ability network is Leading for Inclusion by:

Partnering with leading autism consultancies and support organisations to champion employment of those with autism;
Celebrating #PurpleLightUp to mark the economic contribution of disabled employees across the world; and
Supporting the launch of the firm’s award-winning Global Mental Health Champions programme – now with over 500 volunteers across the firm.