Seven in ten lawyers say they have walked away from a job because it was wrecking their mental or physical health. That’s from an Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program survey of more than 6,700 lawyers and judges, and 82% of the leavers blamed plain old stress. Two-thirds say their current workplace hurts their wellness and they would consider leaving.
The young are taking it hardest. One in three lawyers aged 25 to 35 rate their mental health fair or poor, against one in five overall. Lawyer wellbeing is a hiring issue now, for firms and legal departments alike. If your shop can’t offer saner days than the firm down the street, why would anyone come? More on lawyer burnout here, and if you’re the one eyeing the exit, plenty of in-house counsel roles are open.
“Some 31% of attorneys aged between 25 and 35 reported that their workplace had a negative impact on their wellbeing, compared to 24% of lawyers aged 36 to 45.”
Read: Majority Of Lawyers Have Quit Jobs Over Wellbeing Concerns, New Study Finds at London Insider