Lawyer Wellness
Legal leaders shoulder more stress, new survey shows
Think you’re stressed out? Your senior leaders probably have you beat. (Image from Shutterstock)
Think you’re stressed out? Your senior leaders probably have you beat.
A survey by the Association of Corporate Counsel of 1,600 legal professionals found that more than 25% of in-house legal department leaders, including chief legal officers and associate general counsel, reported that they endure “high or severe” levels of stress, Law.com reports.
Directors and managers/analysts of legal operations don’t fare much better, at 22% and 24%, respectively, according to the ssociation of Corporate Counsel report, The State of Stress Among In-House Legal Professionals, released Monday.
Individual contributor roles, such as attorneys, reported high stress less often, at 12%, “suggesting distance from management demands reduces acute pressure,” according to the report.
High stress levels “amplify the risk of attrition by a factor of 3 to 5 compared to moderately or mildly stressed staff,” the report warned, noting that among department employees reporting high stress, 24% said they plan to leave their jobs within the next year.
But few get by without feeling stressed, with the report finding that 66% of employees experience “moderate to severe” stress overall.
See also:
4 surprising signs of attorney stress and some ways to address it
Write a letter to the editor, share a story tip or update, or report an error.
