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A new study has revealed the critical role of workplace culture in the wellbeing of Australian lawyers, with researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Melbourne highlighting the urgent need for firms to prioritise a positive and supportive environment.

The comprehensive survey of 1900 legal professionals across Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia, led by principal investigator Emerita Professor Vivien Holmes from ANU and Professor Julian Webb from Melbourne Law School, uncovered a stark reality: approximately half of the lawyers surveyed believe their workplace culture negatively impacts their wellbeing.

Alarmingly, the study identified that 18 per cent of participants were working within organisations characterised by a ‘poor’ culture, marked by strained colleague relationships, incivility, self-interest, and pressure to compromise ethical standards.

The research also revealed that junior lawyers and senior lawyers with management responsibilities reported higher than average levels of psychological distress across all surveyed law firms.

“Our study identifies a clear relationship between workplace culture, wellbeing and career intentions, with a third of participants reporting that they want to quit their firm, and one-in-10 planning to leave the profession within a year,” stated Emerita Professor Holmes. “For those planning to leave the sector, high workloads and a poor balance between perceived effort and reward were a serious problem.”

Professor Webb elaborated on the findings: “We found poor culture was statistically associated with higher psychological distress, workplace incivility, and a lack of effective wellbeing support services such as flexible working arrangements, better workload management, and tailored counselling or employee assistance programs.”

The researchers have put forward several key recommendations to address these issues, including introducing more flexible working arrangements, improved management of lawyer wellbeing by firms, and a greater understanding of the specific wellbeing needs of junior lawyers and their managers.

Despite the concerning findings, the study also offered a glimmer of hope. “Nearly half of legal workplaces had a positive culture with good wellbeing supports, stronger relationships and healthier and happier staff,” Professor Webb highlighted.

Emerita Professor Holmes concluded by outlining the key elements of a positive workplace culture identified in the study. “We were able to identify the foundations for good workplace culture in having supportive colleagues and good management, practical and flexible work arrangements, and a positive focus on the quality of work. These factors have shaped our recommendations to the profession.”

Jennifer Ball, Law Society of NSW President, welcomed the release of the research report and said, “There is much for the profession to learn from this report, from graduate level to practice leader and across all sectors. I thank our partners at the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia and especially the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner for leading the work on this important project.”

Ball added that the health and wellbeing of solicitors are among her priorities this year and she is “enormously proud that the Law Society supports the wellbeing of solicitors in a number of important ways.”

“The Solicitors Outreach Service that provides 24/7 crisis access to a psychologist for any NSW-based solicitor, whether a member or not. Solicitors can also access three free sessions with a psychologist per financial year, through this externally provided and independent scheme,” Ball said.

Read the full report detailing the study’s findings and recommendations on the Victorian Legal Services Board website.