Respect, Inclusion & Wellbeing

At Burness Paull, respect, inclusion and wellbeing means recognising that everyone is different; creating a culture that values those differences, where all our people can succeed.

We recognise everyone has unique needs and circumstances and support colleagues with flexible working arrangements and inclusive policies that reflect this. Available from day one, these include family-friendly policies, hybrid working, reasonable adjustments for disabilities, fair expenses policies, and recognition that caring responsibilities can come in many forms. You can read more about colleague support at Burness Paull here. 

We are proud that ‘inclusivity’ is regularly the top-rated factor in our internal engagement survey, but it’s important to us that we continue to build on this, making Burness Paull a welcoming and inclusive place for all.

To allow everyone’s voice to be heard and ensure progress is made, we have a dedicated R&I strategy group tasked with finding out what matters to our colleagues and how we can provide support on issues which might affect them at and/or outside of work.

Led by our Inclusion & Wellbeing Manager Emma Smith and chaired by Head of Responsible Business Michael Thomson, the group works closely with our employee networks and representatives from across the firm to ensure that we’re constantly improving our practices and embedding respect and inclusion in everything we do. Progress is reported to our board on a quarterly basis.

Gender equality

As the first law firm to sign up to the Pathways Pledge, we’ve publicly declared our commitment to promoting gender equality throughout the firm and driving forward positive change, building a culture that encourages and supports female colleagues to reach their full potential.

After gathering feedback from female partners through an anonymous survey, we listened to their experiences here at Burness Paull and in previous firms and shaped our pledges based on what was said. We have committed to improving equal access to work, business development opportunities and career progression for female colleagues and to ensuring those who make positive contributions to our firm culture are recognised for this.

Our pledges build on action already taken through supportive family policies, the promotion of shared parental leave and flexible working and enhanced support on returning to work after maternity leave. 

To raise awareness and allyship, we provide firmwide training and resources to address perceived and unconscious bias and our employee networks encourage open discussion on difficult topics such as baby loss, fertility and caring responsibilities.

"We are proud to be the first law firm to sign up to the Pathways Pledge. The outcome of our pledges in ensuring equal opportunities for all will directly impact the future of the firm, enabling the best leaders of tomorrow to succeed, regardless of gender. We’re committed to supporting the progression of our female talent and hope that the work we are doing in this space will not only benefit our current and future colleagues but encourage positive change throughout our industry.” Nicky Clemence, Partner

Menopause at work

We were the first law firm in the UK and first employer in Scotland to be accredited and reaccredited as 'Menopause Friendly’, recognising the ongoing work the firm is doing to support colleagues experiencing menopause. 

We have a policy framework and a range of training, support and resources in place, including trained Menopause Champions, to ensure ongoing support to colleagues impacted by the menopause.

“It is fantastic to see Burness Paull receive re-accreditation as a Menopause Friendly workplace. They have been groundbreaking in their support for colleagues experiencing menopause, as evidenced by being the first Scottish employer to receive the accreditation. It’s so heartening to see they haven’t paused on the journey, continuing to listen and respond to the needs of their employees and provide such a tailored and practical programme of support which improves the working lives of those who benefit from it" Deborah Garlick, Director, Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace

Gender pay gap reports

We think it is important to be open and transparent, and annually publish our gender pay gap report, including details on partner pay gap which is not compulsory by legislation. We’re working hard to identify reasons for this gap and how we can close it.

• Gender pay gap report 2025
• Gender pay gap report 2024
• Gender pay gap report 2023

Support for parents and carers

Becoming a parent is a life changing event and we are committed to supporting colleagues as they adjust to their new role. 

We're committed to creating a more family-friendly workplace through enhanced flexibility, tailored support and practical resources. This includes extended phasing-in of fee-earner targets on return from leave, enhanced flexible and remote working options, dedicated family networks and resources, 1:1 and group coaching and awareness raising support through our partnership with Talent on Leave, awareness-raising for managers and colleagues, and ongoing opportunities for feedback to help shape our approach.

Recognising the journey to parenthood isn't always easy or straightforward, we also offer enhanced neo-natal, baby loss and fertility leave.

LGBT+ inclusion

Our BeProud network brings together LGBT+ colleagues and allies to help shape a more inclusive environment for all, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The group’s input is fundamental to our commitment to make sure everyone can be their true selves at work, and be valued for it, and has a direct impact on championing positive change.

Our policies and practices are designed to be inclusive of all family situations and gender identities and have evolved based on consultation with colleagues. 

We are proud to champion the support of LGBT+ professionals across the legal community, collaborating with other firms and the Law Society of Scotland. We also work closely with Time for Inclusive Education to support their efforts to erase prejudice, raising awareness through engagement sessions and partnering with TIE for our annual Pride Brunch.

Combining our own actions as an LGBT+ inclusive employer and our employment team’s position as leading advisors, we regularly take the work we have been doing internally out to our client base and wider industry, sharing best practice and shaping strategy in line with legislative change. 

Social mobility

We work hard to make sure we recruit the best teams from the widest pool of talent. We know there are challenges and barriers facing some candidates and we want to make sure bright, ambitious individuals get the same chance to shine.

Some of the external organisations we partner with to help us achieve wider inclusivity are:

• The Robertson Trust - We have partnered with the Robertson Trust to be the first firm to offer a legal ‘Career Pathway’, supporting Robertson Trust scholars with training and guidance through workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities. The Pathway will allow scholars the opportunity to gain access to our summer internship scheme, with a view to securing a traineeship.
• PRIME - PRIME is a legal sector initiative and our participation in this programme is to provide fairer access to quality work experience for school-age students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
• Rare Recruitment - In 2019 we implemented a contextual recruitment system to allow us to understand graduate candidates’ achievements and experience in context, enabling us to find the best hires from the widest talent pool possible.

Race & ethnicity

We celebrate the diversity of our colleagues across cultures, religions, race, backgrounds and lived experience. Led by our BeDiverse employee network, we bring people together across the firm to encourage open conversations, greater understanding and meaningful connections that help foster a more inclusive workplace for those from minority ethnic groups.

In collaboration with our R&I strategy group, the network has reviewed firm policies and supported the implementation of findings and recommendations of the Law Society of Scotland’s Racial Inclusion Group, for example implementing flexible working practices around Ramadan and providing prayer spaces in our offices.

As part of our commitment to widening access to the legal profession, in October 2020 we signed up to Rare’s Race Fairness Commitment to implement data-driven measures to help identify potential barriers that hold back people of colour in the legal sector. 

We will continue to drive forward research, consultation and change within our own business and the wider industry.

Accessibility for all

We are committed to removing barriers that may impact a colleague's ability to succeed at work. Our reasonable adjustments policy, colleague process guide, inclusive technology toolkit and reasonable adjustments passport provide a clear and consistent framework for discussing and implementing support.

Through open conversations, practical workplace adjustments and access to appropriate resources, we help colleagues manage disabilities, health conditions, and other individual needs.

Neuroinclusion

We want to recruit and retain the best talent possible, and part of doing this is ensuring we are a neuroinclusive employer, recognising and valuing those who think differently. As well as celebrating the strengths and benefits neurodiverse people bring to society and the workplace, we also acknowledge the barriers they may face. 

To support neurodivergent candidates and colleagues to reach their full potential, we are proud to partner with leading neurodiversity charity the Salvesen Mindroom Centre and have signed up to its Neuroinclusion at Work programme, the first project of its kind in Scotland, helping employers improve the experience of neurodivergent colleagues in their organisations.

Through this partnership we have implemented policies and procedures to improve our recruitment, onboarding and HR processes to support a neurodiverse workforce. Some examples include:

• Introducing an inclusive recruitment toolkit for managers that includes specific information on being a neurodivergent-inclusive interviewer
• Investing in a behavioural assessment platform which allows us to assess candidate potential based on a combination of indicators rather than relying on aptitude testing and interview alone
• Launching a Reasonable Adjustments Policy and Reasonable Adjustments Passport for all colleagues
• Ensuring our offices allow for quiet spaces, single pods and collaboration areas to suit a range of individual preferences and needs
• Working with an external auditor to assess and improve the accessibility of our website for external users
• Awareness raising and education to reduce the stigma often associated with neurodiversity

Alan Thornburrow, Chief Executive of the Salvesen Mindroom Centre said: “It has been fantastic to have Burness Paull as one of the first partners in our Neuroinclusion at Work programme. The combination of their commitment to being an inclusive employer alongside their position as a leading law firm advising employers across the country on HR and employment law makes them a valuable partner. We have already worked together on a number of initiatives and I am really excited about continuing to build on this relationship, which will benefit not only the employees of Burness Paull but the wider community through their involvement.”

Supporting mental health

It’s important to us to create a healthy, safe and positive working environment, offering colleagues the support and resources they need to maintain their mental, physical and financial wellbeing.

We were awarded See Me in Work partnership status in recognition of the work we have done to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination and embed a mentally healthy culture.

We have trained mental health first aiders across the firm, offering support to colleagues experiencing mental health issues or those who need someone to listen. They are able to provide initial support and signpost appropriate professional support where needed.

We hold regular workshops on topics around mental wellbeing and everyone in the firm has 24hr access to support and resources through our employee assistance programme. We also offer confidential one-to-one counselling and emotional wellbeing support sessions for colleagues through Wellbeing Partners.

We are proud to have been the first Scottish law firm to have signed up to the Mindful Business Charter and we are driving forward changes to remove avoidable sources of stress in the workplace. 

As the first Scottish law firm to sign the Mindful Business Charter, we are committed to reducing avoidable workplace stress and creating an environment where people can thrive. 

This is supported by proactive workload monitoring, mental health awareness training for managers, wellbeing toolkits and online learning resources covering topics such as digital wellbeing, resilience and healthy ways of working. 

Armed Forces Covenant

We are signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and have been awarded the Silver Employer status, given to employers who commit to being an armed forces friendly organisation for employees and their families and demonstrate this through inclusive recruitment and employment policies.

Some of our latest initiatives:

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