The legal sector's workforce is not less invested in work, but they are equally as invested in their self-care and see work/life balance as a core component of this.
Of all the enduring impacts of the pandemic, the conversation around flexible working has undoubtably taken centre stage. Tensions have begun to arise between businesses and their employees around the issue, with many people highly reluctant to give up the better work/life balance that flexible working arrangements have afforded.
Arguably, these tensions are rooted in a greater emphasis on self-care and well-being that has come to the forefront post-pandemic, and the legal sector has experienced this in full.
It is easy to view the discussion around work/life balance and well-being through the lens of ‘firm vs its people’, but this perhaps discredits how both sides are approaching this important issue. Moreover, this perception is of little use if the overall goal of the conversation is to encourage a broader cultural shift within the legal sector that decreases levels of burnout.
What are lawyers really looking for?
Our most recent survey of Millennial and Gen-Z lawyers starkly demonstrates the extent to which people working in the legal sector are changing their priorities. The most cited reasons that Gen-Z lawyers would consider leaving their current firm were high hours and working weekends or nights. In correlation with this, nearly two-thirds of respondents chose more time off and flexible working as the two top incentives to trade for a reduced salary. A reduction in billable hours also came within the top 5 answers.
For young lawyers starting out in their career, the hours and long stretches without a break that have long been attached to the legal sector are clearly seen as problematic. But these attitudes are not symptomatic of a generation that is workshy. Rather, it is indicative of a generation that wants to better sustain its ability to perform well by balancing demanding work with deserved breathers.
The trends amongst Millennial-aged lawyers are similar. Survey data reveals that compensation and work/life balance are the most important factors for these lawyers when considering an employer. Similar to their younger colleagues, more than half would trade salary for more time off. Many of this cohort are at the young family stage of life, and so there is a desire to retain the work/life balance that allows them to spend fulfilling and restorative time with family and friends.
Th emerging trends in talent flow that we are seeing on the ground attest to this. Interim-based work, whereby lawyers will work on a fixed-term basis for several months and then spend a few months not working at all, is steadily climbing in popularity. Others are looking to move in-house earlier in their careers, where the work is still stimulating and challenging but not influenced by client demand.
Overall, these findings point to a workforce within the legal sector that is not less invested in their work, but they are simply equally as invested in their self-care and see work/life balance as a core component of this.
Standing in contrast to the ‘firm vs people’ rhetoric, we are seeing firms taking the issue, quite rightly, very seriously. Leadership teams are not only willing, but eager, to find solutions that help their teams stay at the top of their game. The nature of a high-intensity, client servicing industry such as the law means that the solution can rarely be as simple as reducing billable hour requirements or allowing unlimited holiday.
One strategy that we are increasingly seeing firms adopt, however, is appointing dedicated well-being roles. Well-being liaisons or mental health officers are becoming increasingly commonplace within firms. Often just having someone to talk to if you are concerned about a colleague or struggling yourself is the first safety net that can prevent people from burning out, and so creating these channels of communication between leadership and employees is perhaps the most important first step.
There are other cultural changes that firms could, and in many cases, are, promoting to support well-being at work. The ebbs and flows of client work naturally create periods of intense business, which give way to windows of relative calm. However, I’ve often heard from lawyers that they feel a different sense of pressure in these quieter moments. They are inclined to ask of themselves ‘how can I stay just as busy?’ and determine that they should continue full speed ahead looking for new business or creating value for clients to keep business on their books. This is perhaps partially a symptom of the type of person the legal profession attracts, and partially due to perceived firm expectations.
To support a better balance, firms should seek to be vocal in encouraging their people to restock and reset when opportunities to do so arise. Again, communication is key to creating and cementing this culture, but when done effectively it can have a profoundly positive impact on people’s well-being.
A career in the law will always be a demanding one, and firm leadership and individual lawyers alike will always be eager to meet the expectations of their clients. But it is wrong to insinuate that calls for more well-being support emanating from across the sector, and especially from younger generations of lawyers, are falling on deaf ears.
The truth is that senior leadership within firms are not only hearing the calls but are keen to respond to them in a constructive way. From conversations with both firms and candidates, there is clearly a willingness from both to speak about the issue and find a solution that works.
Encouragingly, the data suggests that the sector is progressing towards that solution, and this is being recognised. Our Gen-Z survey found that nearly 69% of young lawyers think the sector is undergoing positive change. If both firm leadership and employees coming through the ranks continue to keep the work/life and well-being conversation constructive, we will hopefully see this continue to climb.
