Law firms facing two dozen toxic culture inquiries amid burnout crisis
LAW firms are facing two dozen investigations into allegations of staff mistreatment amid concerns of a burnout crisis in the City.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said it is investigating 24 cases relating to lawyers’ wellbeing. Investigations are understood to involve allegations of bullying, harassment and inappropriate pressure within law firms.
It forms part of a crackdown on toxic working cultures in the City launched by the SRA last year. Fifteen of the watchdog’s 24 ongoing investigations have been opened since the regulator introduced new wellbeing rules last year requiring law firm partners to call out any unfair treatment of staff.
The updated rules included a specific obligation for lawyers to treat colleagues “fairly and with respect”.
The legal profession is grappling with a mental health crisis after the recent death of Vanessa Ford, a partner at Pinsent Masons. According to a coroner’s inquest last month, the senior lawyer was suffering from an “acute mental health crisis” after working 18-hour days advising on the sale of Everton FC in the months prior to her death.
Ms Ford’s death has prompted debate about the legal sector’s working culture, with long hours and weekend work often expected.
Mental health charity Lawcare said lawyers in the UK were at high risk of burnout and faced intense workloads. Stress, anxiety and depression are commonplace. However, many lawyers feel afraid to speak about their mental health at work over fears it will affect their career, Lawcare said. Under its new rules, the SRA has pledged to investigate law firms where there is evidence that bosses imposed “wholly unreasonable workloads or targets” on staff. The legal watchdog will also intervene in cases where there has been a pattern of abuse by senior staff or complaints about discrimination and harassment.
Senior leaders who repeatedly fail to address toxic behaviour could face prosecution. Law firms themselves can be fined up to £25,000.
Previous complaints to the SRA include one senior solicitor who had been a victim of bullying by several partners at a law firm, according to a case study published on its website. One accused partner was described as behaving like a “stroppy, bullying primary school teacher”. They allegedly belittled the complainant by asking them to draw a simple diagram of a property deal in front of colleagues.
After the inquest into Ms Ford’s death, Pinsent Masons said it was consulting with staff and clients to make changes. Laura Cameron, its managing partner, said: “We want this to be an ongoing conversation with colleagues to ensure we are doing everything we can to support our people.”