The legal profession is one of the most stressful industries, with teams dealing with sensitive and critical information for their clients every day. On top of that, priority tasks are numerous and add up quickly, along with billable hour requirements, large workloads, and tight deadlines to adhere to.

As the stress epidemic continues to grow, preventative action must be taken with increased mental health support for lawyers to protect their wellbeing in this challenging, high-pressure occupation.

What contributes to stress in the legal profession?

Legal firms work to maximise revenue per client by hitting billable hour targets throughout the year, while being on-call around the clock to ensure high quality work and customer approval. Because of this, lawyers tend to become time-poor, working graveyard shifts to give clients all-hours coverage.

The overarching need to maintain the good reputation of the firm is also a critical factor and adds to the growing difficulty in dealing with stress as a lawyer. High levels of client satisfaction are essential for winning future cases against competing firms, which often translates to an “always say yes” attitude towards client work, even if demands are unreasonable. Particularly for junior employees in the early stages of their career, this contributes to an additional layer of performance pressure and stress.

How to tackle stress in the legal profession

No matter the size of your organisation, there are ways to tackle the problem of law firm stress and improve the wellbeing of your team long term.

1. Understand that stress is a key risk to legal firms

When assessing the strategic and operational risks to your firm, the typical areas of concern are around economic turbulence, rising competition from other legal businesses, and retaining your top talent.

But stressed and burnt out employees make mistakes. And mistakes in the legal industry can be incredibly costly, making this an area not to overlook when thinking about risks to your company. Research has found that as pressures increase for lawyers working with clients directly, so too do the number of issues caused by lapses in concentration. A seemingly small data-entry error can have serious consequences when a client goes to court with incorrect information.

Addressing the causes of these mistakes, usually related to employee health and wellbeing, is the best way to minimise this risk upfront.

2. Acknowledge that organisational systemic change is necessary

The main causes of stress in the legal profession can be attributed to three distinct categories—unmanageable workloads, unsupportive work environments, and toxic relationships with managers. To see tangible and lasting reductions in stress on your team, the culture of your firm must be completely overhauled.

Billable hours burnout is nothing new when earned fees have traditionally been tied to the number of hours worked. The idea that “the more you bill, the more you’re worth” has long fed the perception that employees must regularly work beyond their contracted hours to be able to bill clients for more time. This pressure of teams to track their hours in extensive detail for client records and to maximise profit has created a generation of highly stressed employees.

Unless these workloads are addressed in some way, the situation won’t change. While the billable hours system is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, look for alternative ways to support your employees and their 

. Focus should instead be placed on building a supportive environment where teams feel a sense of psychological safety, knowing that their supervisors are empathetic to the pressures that come with this job, and providing the right support systems and stress management solutions for individuals to seek help.

Investing in manager training, particularly if issues in this area have been raised, is critical for creating long term, impactful change throughout the whole firm. This is also important for bridging the gap in generational differences that can cause friction on a team, ensuring that support is provided to meet the needs of all employees.

3. Continually assess team stress levels using real data

Knowing what stress levels look like across the firm is vital for taking steps to manage it appropriately. By looking at the causes behind stress and burnout first, preventative measures can be implemented to take proactive steps towards managing stress as a lawyer, rather than simply looking for options to deal with them later.

Surveys to understand team stress and burnout levels, psychology safety levels, and why teams may be feeling stressed are an excellent way to start capturing hard data. From there, ongoing data gathering and team feedback can be used to improve firm wellbeing strategies. This is particularly important if repeated themes come up in data analysis—this will point to areas where change needs to happen at an organisational, rather than team or individual, level.

Monitoring ongoing performance can be difficult, but tools like the 

 can help. As a leading industry indicator of stress, your firm can anonymously gather stress data across the organisation using both physiological and self-reported information. Trends are visible in a comprehensive dashboard, making it easy to track changes and progress over time, allowing you to prioritise changes that are most relevant to your team.

4. Involve the board in stress management initiatives

Clear, data-led wellbeing initiatives will resonate most with senior leadership, and crucially, the board. Securing their buy-in is essential to secure ongoing investment into wellbeing strategies and initiatives, so providing a clear link between performance and wellbeing is essential for sustainable, company-wide changes.

Measuring employee stress against key performance indicators (KPIs) will make it apparent where improvements need to be made. By establishing the cost of worsening key performance indicators such as turnover, absenteeism, and productivity, as a result of stress, you will build the business case and secure buy-in from leadership and the board on the value of preventative action. This in turn will enable you to demonstrate a return on investment figure when you have impact data from your chosen solution, securing future budget for further investment. For example, if employee retention is an issue and a consistent pattern of managers causing extreme stress resulting in their team leaving the business, then manager training can be identified as a priority for investment.

5. Provide wellbeing solutions that actually work

Rolling out a new wellbeing strategy is a good start, but for many firms, this ends at reactive and surface-level support like meditation apps or free therapy, which usually have poor take-up levels and low engagement after initial sign up. That’s why you must find a wellbeing solution that works for your employees, not against them.

With billable hours to maintain, having time in the day to step away from your desk for a break is challenging. A solution like 

 takes this into account, by building short breaks into the working day that work within the confines of a billable hour system.

The app provides micro moments of recovery in as little as 5 to 10 minutes and can be easily completed from your desk, ensuring that 

 with minimal disruption to workflow and productivity. We lead the way with workplace integration thanks to our short sessions and work calendar integration that fits around a billable hours schedule.

6. Spot and prevent burnout ahead of time

Rather than dealing only with the aftermath of burnout, firms must instead look at implementing a preventative approach to employee wellbeing.

 should be focused around addressing triggers for stress and burnout before they occur, rather than only dealing with issues after an employee reaches the point of crisis.

Reactive approaches to wellbeing, such as through the services of EAPs, are simply unable to stem the rising tide of employee burnout and mental health. Their low utilisation at an average of just 

 total employee utilisation, and limited to no ability to measure impact on key business metrics, further justifies the need for a preventative approach to employee health.

There are a number of legal-specific organisations, along with nonprofits, that provide lawyer mental health resources that are there for you when your team needs additional help.

One of the biggest resources available is 

, a company that provides legal professionals and support staff with resources and somewhere to reach out for anyone struggling at work. They offer a free and confidential support hotline, email, and online chat that’s available throughout the week.

 represents, protects, and supports solicitors throughout England and Wales. Not only is it their responsibility to ensure that the legal and justice system is being upheld, the society also works with members to provide networking and career development opportunities, along with support resources when needed.

 is one of the largest national mental health support charities in England and Wales, providing support and advice to those needing mental health services. They have both a general and a legal telephone helpline that can be contacted throughout the week.

 is a 24/7 support service that takes calls from those who are struggling with their mental health and need someone to talk to, with no pressure or judgement. Although known for their crisis response, Samaritans take calls every 10 seconds to listen to those in need and provide guidance on how to manage their mental health.

Legal firms can also look to become part of the 

, an organisation aimed at identifying and eradicating the causes of workplace stress. Members have access to insight sessions from leading stress experts, along with a library of shared resources and member-only events and workshops.

Additional support services available to legal professionals include:

For more general advice and resources specifically around stress management and mental health, lawyers can find information at: 

The International Stress Management Association

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Addressing legal stress and burnout starts with your firm

The legal industry is one of the most common fields for excess levels of stress and burnout. But with a preventive approach to workplace burnout, we can turn the tide on the stress epidemic.

 today and say goodbye to reactive solutions to stress in the legal profession.

How to help your law firm tackle stress in the legal profession 

How to Tackle Stress in the Legal Profession: 6 Tips for Law Firms

Everyone will experience some level of stress in their lives, particularly in the workplace. None of us are immune to the effects of a tight deadline or a larger than normal workload, the typical workplace stressors that everyone will likely face during the course of their career.

But the biggest issues come when these stressors are long term, rather than a temporary bump in the road, and lead to chronic stress. This is both a physiological and psychological response that happens when the demands we face in life outweigh the resources we have to deal with them.

Chronic stress can be difficult to manage as an employer, but there are steps you can take to reduce workplace stress that your team feels each day and make their work life a more positive, fulfilling experience.

The causes of stress in the workplace vary from person to person, but 

 report experiencing chronic stress everyday. Employers have a duty of care towards their staff, including supporting their mental health in the same way as you would the physical wellbeing and safety of your team.

 outlines the six core areas of work design that can impact stress as being:

While stress in and of itself isn’t an illness, the impact that ongoing stress can have on individuals can quickly translate into physical and mental changes.

For some, one of these causes could be manageable, while for someone else, they may struggle to cope. As employers, it’s important to be able to recognise these possible stress areas and work with employees to ensure that they have one-on-one support if they need this to address their concerns.

There are numerous ways to reduce the effects of stress in the workplace, from short term measures and one-off initiatives to longer, more 

 that are fully integrated into your company culture.

 actively seeking wellbeing solutions to help manage their stress at work, now is the best time to start implementing a company-wide plan to identify and address the possible causes of workplace stress.

The effects of stress aren’t only felt by the employee experiencing it - their whole team can be impacted by the changes in behaviour that result from ongoing high levels of stress. For employers, it’s vital that you understand what to look for that could be an early sign of a larger problem.

Employees may begin to exhibit behavioural signs that could point to larger issues. Persistent lateness where they had never struggled with this before, missing deadlines, becoming increasingly isolated at work, exhibiting cynical behaviour, or taking more sick days are all possible areas for concern.

Intellectual and emotional changes may also come up for these individuals, such as lack of concentration or motivation, irritability, anxiety, poor decision making, memory loss, low morale, poor productivity and declining performance at work. These may also contribute to some of the behavioural changes that come with chronic stress.

Although they may be more difficult for employers to spot, physical changes can also be a sign of stress. Rapid weight loss, lack of sleep, headaches and increased blood pressure can all be symptoms of a stressed employee.

Both the physiological and psychological impacts of stress can and should be measured by employers to better understand how these individuals need to be supported. Although the response to stress is unique and personal, ongoing monitoring across the company means that employers can take action before employee burnout becomes a significant issue.

Thanks to technological advances such as the prevalence of wearable devices, it’s now more possible than ever before to track stress, along with the efficacy of implemented solutions once these have been rolled out. Heart rate, sleep quality, and even oxygen levels can all be routinely tracked through these devices, providing insight into our physiological response to stressors throughout the day.

There are ethical considerations to this, though, and there’s a fine line between supporting your team and implementing surveillance tactics throughout their work day. With tools like the Walking on Earth 

, employers can gather anonymised and aggregated data across the team, providing the privacy individuals need while still giving employers the opportunity to see an overall stress score for the company.

The WONE Index is a proprietary model that blends biometric data from wearable technology like Apple Health, FitBit, Garmin, Google Fit, Oura, Polar and Withings with self-reported psychological assessment information to measure employee stress levels throughout the day.

A single score is generated across the three pillars of energy, resilience and activity to provide employees with a personalised, individual look at their own stress levels. This data is visible from a single dashboard for employees to track and manage their own stress levels, better understand their stress triggers, and address what needs to be changed to lower their stress.

For employers, the aggregated data means that employee information remains completely private but still gives 

 that allow leadership to objectively track and take quick, effective action against burnout on a company-wide scale.

Workload is typically the most common reason for ongoing work-related stress. This could be an ongoing problem, particularly if someone leaves the team and the remaining employees are responsible for their workload until a new hire is made.

While an excessive workload can sometimes be outside of the employer’s control, such as during busy seasons, efforts should always be made to limit the time employees are made to work more than usual.

If the demands of the team are higher than usual and appear to have no imminent end, consider hiring additional staff to support those already at the company. While investment will need to be made to train them, this can significantly help lower the overall workload that each employee is responsible for and reduce their stress levels.

4. Help employees build stress resilience

Like any habit, it takes time and practice to build up resilience as a natural reaction to stress. There are numerous ways for employees to do this, like practising mindfulness, meditating, exercising regularly, and developing problem-solving skills.

Hosting events like in-office yoga or meditation practices can be a great way to incorporate anti-stress activities into the workplace. Tools like the Walking on Earth platform can also help employees find ways to practise stress resilience often. They can participate in live sessions throughout the workday, or watch content on-demand  and catch up in their own time.

Consider planning activities and speakers that coincide with 

. These are a good opportunity to get your employees involved and let them know about wellbeing initiatives you offer as a company. This is particularly important when rolling out new policies or 

5. Creative a positive and supportive environment

A positive work environment has two key aspects—people and place. Encourage your team to build community with their coworkers through out-of-hours social events and team bonding activities. This helps people get to know each other outside the workplace and find support for when they need it most.

It’s also important to encourage your team to take breaks frequently. Our brains can only focus on work for 90 minutes to 2 hours at a time before rest is needed. Employees should feel that they’re able to step away from their desk, even for a few minutes, multiple times a day. During this time, incorporating live or on-demand sessions in the Walking on Earth app can provide micro moments of recovery throughout the day.

Creating and enforcing boundaries around communication is also key for establishing a supportive and positive work environment. With work and personal lives becoming blurred due to emails, texts and phone calls, it’s essential as an employer to clearly outline what type of communication is urgent and when employees can and should be contacted outside of standard work hours. Putting these boundaries into place can help employees feel that their personal time is respected.

Ensuring that your team leaders and managers are sufficiently trained and supported is vital for passing that support down the chain to the rest of your team. Those who don’t receive the right kind of help or guidance from their managers often note higher levels of stress than those who feel well supported.

Management should be trained both in leadership skills and their essential job role. This allows them to more easily identify the signs of stress and burnout in their employees before chronic stress can develop. Suitably trained leaders also give employees someone they can turn to if their workload becomes too unmanageable or they’re struggling to complete their tasks.

7. Provide greater flexibility and control

The optimal work environment and schedule will differ for every individual, so allowing your employees flexibility and greater control over their own situation can significantly reduce workplace stress.

Offering the flexibility of in-office or work from home can help your team better manage their work and personal obligations, while having unlimited time off or a condensed schedule may be a good solution for allowing your team the rest time they need to function at their best during work hours.

Flexible policies are one of the top considerations that job candidates look for when searching for a new position. For those already at your company, retention rates may be higher when employees can build a better work life balance in a way that works best for them.

8. Build a culture of psychological safety

In the workplace, psychological safety means that individuals feel safe and comfortable taking risks as part of the group. This could mean sharing new ideas freely and openly, or feeling able to discuss problems with a manager. With this culture in place, individuals will feel more able to deal with stressors as they come up.

Building a culture of psychological safety often starts with leadership, clearly demonstrating that any issues are taken seriously and that every employee is valued and respected. Addressing any negativity as soon as possible demonstrates that this attitude isn’t tolerated and that everyone must work together as a team to progress.

9. Create a culture of growth and recognition

Promoting your team members may not be possible every year, but you should always look for ways to affirm your team and help individuals grow professionally.

With employees under more stress than ever, including at work, we help employers to navigate chronic workplace stress and bring better wellbeing to employees. 

How to Reduce Chronic Stress in the Workplace: A Guide for Employers

Yvonne Liou is a Business Development Manager at Plume Design Inc, a leader in next-gen smart home tech. Based in Taiwan, Yvonne has worked at Plume since 2021 and has been using the WONE platform for 6 months. We sat down with Yvonne to hear how she uses the WONE platform to help her perform better in her role at work.

Why did you start using Walking on Earth?

I started using WONE as a direct result of our company’s recommendation. Our CEO is very focused on employees' health and has set up several incentive programs for employees to meet their health goals. For example, the company will give USD$100 compensation for 50 hours of activities recorded in Strava during the second half of 2023. Employee health and wellbeing is built into our culture and supported by all levels of leadership.

Our sessions are designed to be short so that they can be done during the working day. How do you like to use the platform?

The solution works for me because we’re so busy in our day jobs, that we don’t always have time to invest in health, and wellbeing activities like exercise which can take longer. 

Short sessions through the WONE platform are best when you need a quick ‘body movement’ or ‘mind uplift’ as a getaway during your daily work. I like to join a session 2-3 times a week and have pretty consistently kept this up, because the sessions are short and so easy to fit into my day.

I prefer the live sessions and in particular I love the stretching exercises with Donna Noble, and the meditation sessions with Divya Kohli and Steven Ebbers.  It’s really obvious to see the positive difference in my body and my mind before and after a session.  They release tension and re-energise me for the rest of the day.

How has Walking on Earth helped you to improve your performance at work?

I regularly use the WONE platform to practise my breathing and empty unwanted thoughts. One example of when this was useful, was ahead of a meeting that I felt stressed about. I knew the meeting was going to be challenging and that it would usually trigger unwanted thoughts and result in me severely questioning the team involved. Instead, by implementing my breathwork knowledge, I was able to manage my response in the meeting, soften my tone and it ended with a peaceful result. 

I really feel that in that moment I was able to regulate my stress and use it to help perform better in my role.

Discover how Yvonne uses the WONE Platform to help her perform better at work

HOW MICRO MOMENTS HELPED PLUME EMPLOYEE TO PERFORM BETTER AT WORK

Why did you start using Walking on Earth?

Our sessions are designed to be short so that they can be done during the working day. How do you like to use the platform?

How has Walking on Earth helped you to improve your performance at work?

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How to Tackle Stress in the Legal Profession: 6 Tips for Law Firms

How to Reduce Chronic Stress in the Workplace: A Guide for Employers