Survey reveals lawyers lack work-life balance

A Lawyers Weekly survey has revealed that almost three quarters of respondents consider their law firm does not permit or prioritise work-life balance. Thirty six percent of respondents to the question ‘[d]oes your firm do enough to encourage its lawyers to maintain a work-life balance?’ answered their firm has policies to encourage balance, but the culture does not allow for it. The next most popular response was that the firm’s sole concern is the number of hours people bill (35%).

One former private practice lawyer at a Brisbane-based international firm asserted that three years in a corporate and commercial group felt like “slave labour”.
“I am not surprised by the poll’s result,” she told Lawyers Weekly on the condition of anonymity. “I had the feeling [the global firm] encouraged work-life balance and put all these policies in place but doesn’t actually reinforce them – it was just to make it look like they were doing something.”
She said that she was expected to bill 6.75 hours per day on average, and that the firm's culture was one where it was a given that employees would stay back.
The lawyer further asserted that her supervising partner at the time frequently required her to stay in the office until at least 9pm, which was the time specifically indicated by him as the best time to review her work.
“I ended up saying something to HR about it,” she said. “They weren’t happy with what I had to say and they seconded me out. That was the easy option for them, so they wouldn’t have to deal with me complaining about it.”
15% of poll respondents said that while the firm is not problematic, certain practice group heads or partners mandate long hours.
Only 14 per cent of respondents said they had a positive experience within their firm, reporting that the firm genuinely encourages lawyers to embrace a work-life balance.

Read the full story here.
The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes a Factsheet outlining maximum weekly hours and the National Employment Standards. It is available here.
 

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