Life in the law

Elizabeth Rimmer, chief executive of LawCare, examines the findings of the charity’s recent survey into the working lives of legal professionals and why we need to come together to improve wellbeing 

In September, we released the findings of our study, Life in the Law. The research, the first of its kind in the country, looked at mental health and wellbeing in the legal profession, surveying over 1,700 professionals from across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.

The study questioned legal professionals on a range of areas that included work intensity (workload and working hours), burnout (disengagement and exhaustion), autonomy (ability to control what, where, how, and with whom, work is done) and psychological safety (ability to speak up with ideas and questions, and to raise concerns or admit mistakes).

The results confirmed some of the issues we hear about at LawCare every day. Legal professionals across the board scored highly on the scale for burnout – 69% had experienced mental ill-health including stress, anxiety, and depression in the 12 months before completing the survey.

Of those experiencing mental ill-health, only 57% had talked about it at work – the most common reason for this was fear of stigma. Certain groups in the profession – such as younger professionals, women, those from ethnic minority groups, and those with a disability – present a greater risk of burnout.

“Certain groups in the profession – such as younger professionals, women, those from ethnic minority groups, and those with a disability – present a greater risk of burnout."Many legal professionals are working long hours and are not getting enough sleep. One in five said they were bullied, harassed or discriminated against in the 12 months before completing the survey.

We did not just want to focus on the negatives. The aim of Life in the Law was also to look at what has a positive effect on wellbeing and what the profession can do as a whole to make a real difference to work-life balance in the sector.

We found that, as the number of hours’ sleep increases, the rate of burnout drops. We discovered that of a wide range of workplace measures available – from private health insurance to mental health training and regular catch-ups or appraisals – were reported to be the most helpful. Having these in place helped to bolster confidence in personal development and to reduce anxiety.

We also asked people about their experiences working through the pandemic. Whilst there have, of course, been many negatives, such as social isolation, blurring of boundaries between life and work, and increased workloads, for some there were many positives too. These included greater flexibility, more agile working, and a chance to spend more time with close family and really think about what we want in life.

What next?

It is clear from this research that we need to work together to make the law a healthier, happier place to work. Participants in the study agreed that wellbeing in the profession is a collective responsibility and we all have a part to play – whether at an individual level in looking after ourselves, drawing boundaries, and treating our colleagues with respect, or, at a more senior level, in setting out the values and culture of the organisation and having systems in place to make sure these are followed.

Regulators, professional bodies, and legal educators also have a role in making law a profession that values its people first. This is important not just for individuals and workplaces, but also for the future sustainability of the profession as a whole.

Here are the key areas we believe the profession needs to focus on:

• Challenge the stigma surrounding mental health and wellbeing;
• Change the organisational culture of law, acknowledging the important role which those in management and leadership must play in bringing about meaningful change;
• Promote the importance of management training to provide the skills required to support individuals alongside regular catch-ups and appraisals;
• Identify and engage key stakeholders in the conversation about wellbeing, acknowledging that wellbeing is a collective responsibility which will require work to be done collectively across professional and regulatory silos whilst recognising differences across areas of legal practice;
• Share insights, educate, and raise awareness about wellbeing across the legal community; and
• Consider the intersectional nature of wellbeing within the context of multiple factors such as gender, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation.

This research is the start of what we hope will be a long-lasting movement in the law, to take a proper look at our working practices, the culture of workplaces, the way we treat each other and the values we embody. Law’s greatest asset is the minds working within it, and we must protect those minds at all costs. We urge you to join us in making this happen.

LawCare is an independent charity offering emotional support, information and training to the legal community in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. You can contact them for free, confidential, emotional support on 0800 279 6888, email support@lawcare.org.uk or visit www.lawcare.org.uk to access webchat and other information and resources.