You feel it would be good to do something (or something more) to prevent staff burning out? But it seems so complex, so onerous? But it’s not … Ready, aim, fire … How about setting up a wellbeing group for your firm / org / enterprise / one-person band / multinational / other and have a senior member of the firm (you?) drive and champion it? 5 things to consider:
No, none. What … so … ever. Well ... … research over the last 40 years* has highlighted 6 major areas of workplace life which can lead to burnout. These are they: 1 Workload Sometimes job demands exceed human limits and resources to fulfil the requirements. 2 Control A sense of personal autonomy in the workplace is vital. 3 Reward Insufficient reward (whether financial, institutional, or social) increases our
Invest £1 for a £5 return. Seriously? How? A study by Deloitte in January 2020 highlighted that in the UK a sixth of workers experienced a mental health problem at any one time. (That’s over 16%. Maybe 16% of your staff?) And that stress, anxiety and depression were considered responsible for almost half of working days lost in recent years due to health issues. (Of which a huge chunk is
For many of us ‘well-being’ has become ‘ill-being’. Having given training for groups* over the last while I’ve learned a few things about the pressures we all face, especially if we’re running a business. And that sometimes it’s good to be selfish. As we’re told before every flight, “put on your own oxygen mask first, before attempting to help those around you”. And sometimes we need to think of ourselves
Here's a selection of some things I've written and said over the last decade or so: Get help! (Patent Lawyer Magazine / LawCare. May 2023) How to improve the mental health of lawyers (in 20 simple steps) (Solicitors Journal. October 2022) Lawyer wellbeing in crisis (The Impact Lawyers. November 2021) Sidestepping burnout (Modern Lawyer. October 2021) Life in the Law (The Impact Lawyers. September 2021) Beating burnout (stress management webinar
I recently wrote a review in The Law Society Gazette of 'Vicarious Trauma in the Legal Profession: a practical guide to trauma, burnout and collective care' by Joanna Fleck and Rachel Francis. It is excellent. Check out the review here.
