I recently concluded a study of the well-being of 250+ associates in three prominent business law firms. Below is a concise summary of two of the most significant findings.
More in-depth presentation and discussion will be presented here at Efficametrics Associates later in the Spring.
The study had two primary objectives:
a. Explore differences in stress based on gender.
b. Explore the distribution of stress and exhaustion.
Unexpectedly, I could not find any differences in stress or exhaustion in associates. One of the most robust and consistent findings in stress research is that women are more stressed than their male colleagues. However, this finding is preliminary and needs to be replicated. One interpretation is that the conditions of the work in law firms have such a significant impact that they overshadow differences in gender.
The distribution of exhaustion (which is the first phase of burnout) was quite uneven: four out of ten associates are flourishing (meaning they are not experiencing any exhaustion), two out of ten report moderate levels of exhaustion, and four out of ten are struggling. Thus, one could say that in terms of exhaustion, the glass is half full – or half empty – depending on your perspective.
