Carewashing in law firms?

Does lawyers’ well-being take a backseat?

We can pretend otherwise, but those working in Corporate and M&A know that they operate at a speed sometimes double or triple that of other legal departments.

The pressures they face are varied and, in some respects, more exhausting.

In such fast-paced, high-pressure environment of law firms, employee well-being often takes a backseat to billable hours and client demands.

Let’s face this truth: it’s a delicate balance between results and the cost at which they are achieved.

How much have you spent so far?

The topic

I recently bumped into an Harvard Business Review article “How Carewashing Alienates Employees” by Maren Gube, Cynthia Mathieu, and Debra Sabatini Hennelly.

In summary, they highlight how superficial efforts to address well-being—termed “carewashing”—can do more harm than good.

Law firms must recognize the importance of genuine well-being initiatives, and female corporate lawyers can play a pivotal role in driving this change, as they’re one end of the equation.

What is carewashing?

Carewashing, akin to greenwashing, involves organizations presenting a façade of concern for employee well-being without making substantive changes.

The list of initiatives includes offering mindfulness training, yoga classes, various team-building activities, and a range of celebratory practices that contribute to an appearance of caring for well-being.

But how many of these activities have tangible and long-lasting effects on individuals and teams?

Offering mindfulness training or yoga classes, while maintaining unsustainable “work hard, play hard” cultures, fails to address the root causes of employee dissatisfaction and burnout.

This misleading approach can alienate employees and damage trust.

Challenges for law firms

1. High-Stress environment

With the necessary exceptions, law firms are notorious for their high-stress environments, characterized by long hours, demanding clients, and intense competition.

These conditions contribute to high levels of burnout, anxiety, and dissatisfaction among lawyers.

The bad news is that the higher your seniority, the greater the likelihood of getting stuck in such a system.

2. Performance metrics 

The traditional metrics for success in law firms—billable hours, client acquisition, and case outcomes—often overshadow the importance of well-being.

Initiatives that do not align with these metrics may be perceived as less critical, leading to tokenistic efforts rather than meaningful change.

3. Cultural resistance

There is often resistance to change within law firms, where the established culture of endurance and resilience is deeply ingrained.

Efforts to prioritize well-being may be seen as signs of weakness or lack of commitment.

How many times have you downplayed your exhaustion at the end of the day?

4. Lack of awareness

 Many firms lack awareness of what constitutes effective well-being practices.

Without a genuine understanding of employee needs and the factors contributing to stress and burnout, well-being initiatives risk being superficial.

What can a female corporate lawyer do before it’s too late?

Female corporate lawyers are uniquely positioned to advocate for and implement genuine well-being initiatives.

I’m strongly convinced that your contributions can address carewashing and foster healthier workplace cultures, and you should be too.

When I work with middle- seniority figures, such as senior associates, we adopt an holistic and genuine approach to their well-being.

Generally, they have been at the firm long enough to have compared the cultural models of other legal competitors as well.

But, here’s the point, they can’t clearly identify the elements that impact them the most in their daily activities.

Strategies?

1. Assess and address root causes

This is the toughest part.

The firm is part of the problem and struggles to generate solutions because it has a biased perspective.

However, it also finds it difficult to commit to coaching projects that develop over time—it’s an investment whose desired environmental effects are measured by traditional parameters, as I mentioned earlier.

2. Integrate well-being into firm culture

Well-being initiatives should not be isolated events but integrated into the firm’s culture and values.

This involves aligning well-being goals with performance metrics and firm objectives.

That’s why an internal project is not sufficient to explore the topic.

3. Provide comprehensive support

More is better.

Offering a range of support services that address various aspects of well-being, including coaching, counseling, flexible working hours, and exploring professional development opportunities.

Most of all, it’s important to ensure that these services are accessible and tailored to lawyers needs.

4. Foster open communication 

Another sore point: internal communication is complex.

One must consider policies, for Magic Circle law firms the communication methods of HQ, and even the culture of the city.

Encouraging an open communication about well-being is a challenge in the challenge.

Law firms face significant challenges in addressing carewashing, but in my experience and vision, the role of female corporate lawyers is crucial in driving genuine change.

They can boosts organizational performance, fostering a more sustainable and productive legal industry.

That’s the butterfly effect I always refer to when I talk about my vision.

Want to be a part of it?