For us at Morris, working with sustainability is more than just setting a policy.
All parts of our organization, including our clients, must actively work towards the same goal and share our vision. An example of our active work is our long-term collaboration with the diversity organization and the mentor program Mitt Liv. Through this organization, many of our co-workers, juniors and seniors, have become involved as mentors to academics with a foreign background, and guided them into the Swedish labour market.
The collaboration and mentorship is at least as much a mentorship for us and our co-workers. It broadens our horizons and gives us the skills we need to identify and actively work with the problems that exist in our industry. Together with Mitt Liv, we have also established an industry network within HR where we arrange seminars and training on diversity, anti-discrimination and organizational development.
We want to turn gender equality and equality into a competitive advantage. Not a legal requirement that should only be complied with.
Positive momentum
We see a positive momentum in our work for gender equality and equality. For three years in a row, we have been named “Sweden’s most modern law firm” in the industry study Law Firm of the Year. We have also been awarded the title “Sweden’s most sustainable law firm” where clients have been allowed to evaluate industry actors based on the criteria of sustainable development, social responsibility, gender equality, diversity and a reasonable internal workload.
Awards and appointments are nice to get, but we have a lot of work left. One of the most important ingredients for our positive momentum is that we have succeeded in creating an inclusive and open work culture. Everyone in our organization is equally important, regardless of seniority and title. We have a CEO who is not a partner and who comes with experience from another industry. We are one of the few law firms that has a board representative who is not a partner; one of our associate lawyers is a regular member. The important decisions are not just a matter for our partners.
Gender equality and parenthood
We have realized that an inclusive workplace must include a workplace where parenting can be combined with work and partnership. We offer our employees extra compensation during parental leave. Even more important is to lead by example. Being able to reduce working hours during parts of one’s parenthood is something that is obvious to us. We have both men and women who have made that decision and we fully support it.
Morris Climate Code
The goal is for us to actively act as a model for the legal industry on many levels, not least regarding the climate and environment, both in the external work and in the internal operations. It goes hand in hand with Morris’ values. Our focus areas include e.g.:
Transport
Our ambition is to travel smarter. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mainly carbon dioxide).
Energy
We will save on our energy consumption with, for example, well-thought-out auto settings on electronics and electricity and hot water use. We will also communicate our climate ambitions by encouraging our landlords to review energy efficiency in the premises and improve it.
Food and drink
Food and drink that we order and offer in connection with seminars, conferences and internal/external meetings must as a starting point be locally produced and vegetarian. When purchasing food, fruit and coffee, the products must be MSC-, ASC- or KRAV-certified.
Waste and consumption
Our waste must be reduced and, as far as possible, sorted and recycled.