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19 January 2024 / Elizabeth Rimmer
Issue: 8055 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Life in the law: Making it work

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Elizabeth Rimmer explains the importance of understanding psychosocial risk in legal workplaces

Psychosocial risks refer to a broad range of factors within the workplace that have the potential to affect employees’ psychological and physical health. These risks arise from the interaction between the work environment, the nature of the work and workplace relationships.

The World Health Organization has identified common risks to mental health at work: many of these are present in demanding and high-pressured workplaces such as law and can lead to work-related stress and burnout. Common examples of these risks in legal workplaces include the following.

  • High workload and time pressure—heavy workloads, tight deadlines and pressure to meet targets can lead to stress and overwhelm.
  • Nature of the work—legal work is complex and can be emotionally demanding in practice areas such as crime, family, immigration and personal injury.
  • Poor work/life balance—working long hours and meeting the expectations of always being available to clients can lead to stress and strained personal relationships.
  • Organisational culture—an unsupportive culture coupled
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