Half of women working in law say their working patterns are unsustainable for their health

This report is a worrying reminder of the impact workplace pressures can have on women’s mental health in the legal sector. Stress, burnout and exhaustion shouldn’t just be accepted as part of the job, and it’s concerning to see how many women are thinking about stepping away from the profession. There is an urgent need for workplaces to take action to address the structural and cultural factors that impact women to retain them in the sector. This matters for its long-term sustainability.

These stark findings demonstrate the scale of the health and wellbeing issues women face and reflects the quiet, accumulated cost of years working in conditions that damage health, with insufficient support from employers. Many firms are taking health and wellbeing seriously but good intentions and wellness programmes are not enough. We need to see change in the underlying architecture – the hours, the billing model, the cultural expectations and the absence of targeted support.