It’s not (just) about the hours.
There’s lots of well-meaning hand-wringing on social media at the moment about ‘BIG LAW’.
“Something must be done!!”
“Law has got to change!”
People are p*ssed off with the money paid to NQs (a lot)
The “crazy” hours.
The attendant pressures.
And yet…
Isn’t the problem more nuanced than that?
Having spent the last six years training and ‘therapising’ lawyers, we reckon so.
And it explains why two different people in the same firm but in two different teams can have vastly different levels of wellbeing.
Because the factors that really affect people’s wellbeing are what I’ve come to call “overwork plus”
It’s about more than the hours…
It’s about the little things.
The micro-interactions matter much more than you might think.
So, does your boss pop their head round the door (either literally or via email) when you’re working late, showing camaraderie?
Is there, broadly, consistency of treatment within the team? Or do people play favourites?
NB it’s normal to have preferences about who you work with but not if some team members are consistently left rudderless, without anyone senior who has their back.
Does your boss consistently make promises about deadlines to clients that seem unnecessarily tight, without ever consulting with you?
Is the only feedback you ever receive at appraisal time once or twice a year?
And finally, the one that people never mention – are the senior members of the team prone to interacting (or not!) in a way which is completely tone deaf??
Cackhandedness can be forgiven to an extent.
But if you find yourself in an environment where seniors routinely…
…don’t turn up to leaving drinks or other events for team members
…fail to say hi or engage in any of the usual social niceties in the coffee room
…don’t engage with any mental health initiatives and make it clear (in either their words or their actions) that the ‘cuddly stuff’ is for the juniors and support staff….
…then those omissions will show in the morale of their team.
It is possible to have really sh*tty wellbeing whilst working 9 – 6pm….
And it’s also possible to feel in the flow and on top of your game working a much longer day…
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
PS here’s a picture of my ‘boss’ (along with the three kids) – Sherlock the pug ❤️
TCC, because we have walked in your shoes…