Quality of Work Life: ensuring everyone’s well-being

Through our Quality of Work Life (QWL) Commission, we are committed to providing everyone with a fulfilling and rewarding working environment. We do our utmost to ensure that everyone has a positive experience, right from the moment they join the firm. 

  • 13

    lawyer and employee members of the Quality of Work Life Commission

  • 2

    weeks maternity leave extension for all female lawyers and employees 

  • 1

    health room that respects people’s confidentiality and privacy (breastfeeding, medical treatments)

  • 1

    Quality of Work Life charter drafted by the Commission and adopted at the General Meeting in 2023

An original approach to improving quality of work life  

We have established a Quality of Work Life Commission, made up of lawyers and members of staff. It is tasked with identifying the initiatives and commitments needed to improve well-being in the workplace. This initiative allows everyone to have their say and enables us to take action on issues which are important to our teams. The Commission’s work and conclusions are presented to the Management Committee. The issues are then addressed by different sub-groups.  

Initially, a barometer was used to assess the situation. The Quality of Work Life Commission proposed an action plan, including a role for ethics officers in dealing with any problematic behaviour.

In this way, we have developed a comprehensive governance system for issues relating to the quality of work life. 

This is an original and positive approach by Gide: bringing everyone together as a tangible symbol of our diversity. The Quality of Work Life Commission’s recommendations feed into and strengthen the work of our HR department and underline everyone’s commitment to the collective cause.
Director of Human Resources
Amélie Pironneau

Our Quality of Work Life Roadmap

  • Starting point

    2021 marked a turning point and a crucial starting point in the definition of our QWL roadmap. For the first time, we launched a consultation with our lawyers and employees in all our offices to gain an overview of people’s thoughts.  

  • Creation of the Quality of Work Life Commission

    In 2022, we set up a working group made up of lawyers and employees, which became our ‘Quality of Work Life Commission’. Its purpose is to propose actions that meet the commitments of a firm that cares about its teams and is rooted in modernity. At the same time, two internal ethics officers were appointed to deal with and put a stop to any dysfunctional behaviour. 

  • Creation and adoption of our Quality of Work Life charter

    In 2023, we created and adopted a Quality of Work Life charter to confirm our shared values and principles.

  • Practical steps

    In 2024, the work of the Quality of Life at Work Commission set out our priorities around four themes: respect and management; diversity and inclusion; work-life balance; and parenting. New measures have been adopted and are currently being rolled out. 

Respect and Management

  • A psychological helpline, an anonymous helpline available to everyone.
  • Two internal compliance officers to ensure that dysfunctional behaviours can be addressed.
  • Voluntary compliance advisors to facilitate the escalation of information.
  • Management training for partners and counsels.
  • Female leadership training to support and empower women’s association.
  • A mentoring program led by our partners for our associate lawyers and counsels.
  • A training program (including soft skills), which benefited 71% of our Paris-based lawyers and 56% of our employees in 2023.

Diversity and inclusion

Diversity

  • The firm’s 800 members come from 35 different nationalities practising in 41 bar associations around the world.
  • The firm has been a signatory of the Diversity Charter since 2018, committing it to fighting all forms of discrimination and pursuing its commitments in favour of diversity. 
  • Membership of the ‘General Counsel Diversity and Inclusion Initiative.’ 
  • The firm has been a signatory to the Paris Bar’s LGBT+ Inclusion Charter since 2024. This charter aims to ensure full equality of rights and treatment within law firms, and to step up the fight against harassment and discrimination.
  • Organisation of conferences on diversity and inclusion to raise awareness of the issue among all members of the firm.


Equality

  • Gender equality index for employees: Gide achieved a score of 98 out of 100 (100 corresponding to perfect equality) in both 2023 and 2022.
  • Our internal women’s network (InspiringWomen@Gide) brings together more than 100 partners, counsel and associates. Their meetings aim to strengthen the role of women in the firm and to guide female lawyers along their career paths. 


Disability

  • Partnership with the association ‘Droit comme un H’, dedicated to the integration of disabled talent into the legal profession.
  • Participation in the DuoDay initiative: we welcome trainees with disabilities for a day of discovery paired up with members of the firm. 

Work-life balance

  • Drafting and adoption of the firm’s Quality of Work Life charter. 
  • Remote working open to lawyers, employees and trainees. 
  • Absolute respect for sick leave, maternity leave and paternity leave.
  • Recognition of the status of family carers and adoption of dedicated measures. 

Parentality

  • Opening of a health room which respects confidentiality and privacy (for breastfeeding or medical treatments).
  • Remote work possible from the sixth month of pregnancy, on return from paternity/maternity leave and as part of a MAP/adoption programme.
  • Support with parenthood-related procedures. 
  • Maternity leave extended by two weeks compared with the legal framework. 
  • Presence of Parenting Advisors.
  • Prorating of reference hours during maternity and paternity leave.
  • Birth bonus.

Initiatives

  • InspiringWomen @Gide 

    Organised by the firm’s internal women's network, lunches between partners, counsels and associates provide valuable opportunities to share experiences, inspire each other and strengthen relationships. These meetings encourage the exchange of ideas, mentoring and solidarity within the firm.

  • Choir and music group

    Every week, the choir meets to rehearse with a coach. In addition, our music studio offers a space equipped with instruments where anyone can give free rein to their passion for singing and music and play together.

  • Sharing and openness

    To help everyone integrate and ensure team cohesion, we provide plenty of opportunities to get together: conferences with guest speakers, internal public speaking competitions, participation in sporting events, festive occasions, meetings with external associations, etc.

The 13 members of our Quality of Work Life Commission

  • Célia Alao, Associate – Projects (Finance & Infrastructure) 
  • Élise Bernard, Associate – M&A 
  • Neil Beyne, Head of Research and Applications 
  • Justine Convain, Communications Director 
  • Valérie Dugué, Assistant – Real Estate 
  • Raphaël Fuchs, Assistant – Banking & Finance 
  • Fabien Le Start, Internal controller
  • Alexandra Munoz, Partner – Arbitration  
  • Nadège Nguyen, Partner – M&A 
  • Bastien Raisse, Counsel – Banking & Finance  
  • Marie Robert-Schmid, Counsel – Dispute Resolution  
  • Marie Pastier-Mollet, Partner – Real Estate 
  • Amélie Pironneau, HR Director