Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
At Wiersholm, we work continuously to create a working environment that reflects the diversity of the society we live in and provide services to. Our gender equality work is rooted in our values:
- We are socially conscious
- We are committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- We are passionate about diversity and equality
Promoting equality and preventing discrimination is an integral part of our company and how we work.
We strive to create a workplace that reflects the diversity of the society we live in and provide services to, and this work is rooted in our values. At Wiersholm, we consider diversity to be a strength and a prerequisite for providing the best possible services to our clients. Therefore, we work to recruit and retain employees with different beliefs, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression, age and disability.
Our clients are constantly evolving and facing new challenges. We believe that because of the breadth of knowledge, diverse backgrounds and unique experiences that each of our employees brings to the firm we are well placed to provide tailored services to a diverse group of clients. In addition, it also ensures a strong organisational culture.
To keep track of what is happening in the company and to get input on how we as an employer can develop and improve, we conduct an annual employee survey. The survey gives us valuable feedback from our employees and enables us to introduce new measures and further develop existing measures as needed. The results of our latest employee survey show that employees recognise and appreciate our commitment to diversity and equality, and that they feel they can be themselves at work.
Inclusive working environment
People are our most valuable resource, and it is important for us to facilitate an inclusive working environment where employees thrive and can develop – both professionally and socially. We are a diverse group of people and therefore organise activities that reflect this diversity. For example, we organise regular social gatherings, football and golf tournaments, group workouts, skiing courses, seminars and professional courses, etc. which all contribute to making Wiersholm an attractive place to work.
We have a collaborative culture that is built on trust and respect – we trust everyone to do their best every day; we listen to each other and give each other valuable feedback so that we can constantly improve.
In our most recent employee survey, the vast majority of our employees state that Wiersholm is a welcoming and inclusive workplace. Two crucial aspects that define and underpin our inclusive culture are diversity in the workplace and career development.
Celebrations
Every year we mark celebrations that are important to us. In recent years, we have in particular focused on the International Women’s Day, Pride and World Mental Health Day. The purpose of our internal celebrations is to contribute to increased awareness of and expertise on the topic highlighted by each celebration.
In connection with the International Women’s Day, we have in recent years invited employees to lectures and/or internal panel discussions on diversity, inclusion and gender equality.
In June, we celebrate Pride. As an employer, we want to create an environment where everyone can be themselves at work. To love is a human right. That is why we are celebrating the diversity of love together with our colleagues at Wiersholm, the legal profession, the business community and society at large.
To mark World Mental Health Day, we have in recent years invited employees to lectures focusing on mental health by, among others, Jimmy Westerheim from The Human Aspect.
Mino.Jur
Wiersholm is a proud and long-standing partner of Mino.Jur, a student organisation for minority law students in Bergen and Oslo. The organisation works to establish networks and contacts between minorities and contributes to professional development.
As a partner of Mino.Jur, we organise several seminars and events to strengthen the legal minority community. Among other things, we have a mentoring scheme that connects law students with minority backgrounds with various mentors in Wiersholm, who provide guidance and act as conversation partners with whom the students can discuss careers and challenges in the legal profession. We also contribute to the annual “Mino-Jur days”. We believe this collaboration plays an important role in our efforts to attract more talent from minority backgrounds.
Gender Equality Statement 2024
In connection with the annual report, we prepare a separate report on our work to promote equality and prevent discrimination on the basis of, among other things, gender, maternity leave,
ethnicity, religious belief, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
The work is documented and takes place in
cooperation with representatives of the employees.