It found 85% suffered health and wellbeing issues that affected their work—such as stress, burnout and anxiety—in the past five years and more than two-thirds (67%) considered moving job or taking a career break as a result.
Despite the scale of the problem, 43% of women surveyed felt they could not openly discuss such issues at work without negative consequences.
‘The main thing is that you feel you just have to get on with it and not complain or draw attention to anything that might make the partners see you as trouble or difficult,’ according to one legal director.
One law firm partner—unable to function due to burnout following a family bereavement, and whose GP insisted she was not fit for work—received ‘a thinly veiled threat of severe financial penalty’ if she didn’t meet her annual target.
The report, ‘Pressure points: mapping women’s wellbeing in law’, published this week with the support of law firm RPC and charity LawCare, is based on a survey of 500 women lawyers. It emphasises the importance of women feeling able to openly discuss health and wellbeing issues, and recommends employers review their billing model, paid carers leave, flexible working, support for maternity returners and policies on menopause, fertility and pregnancy loss.
Rachel Pears, associate director at RPC, said: ‘When talented professionals start to question whether their career is compatible with good health, that is a collective problem that requires a collective response.’
LawCare CEO Elizabeth Rimmer said: ‘Stress, burnout and exhaustion shouldn’t just be accepted as part of the job, and it’s concerning to see how many women are thinking about stepping away from the profession.’
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