#8 – Burnout and Blackout

Scotch. Cigars. A pat on the back. And then back to work.

Warning first-year lawyers not to burn out is a bit like telling firemen to stay away from fire, but everyone from Lawyers Weekly to LSJ to LinkedIn seems to do it.

Every industry day and protective friend warns about the mental health issues and poor culture. When I joined my university’s Law Student Society, the welcome bag came with a Beyond Blue wristband.

Burnout is a problem in too many offices. And by the way, Friday drinks and beanbags are not a substitute work culture. If you’re overworked, overlooked, underpaid, or part of a toxic team – scotch and cigars are not the antidote.

Here’s where we move from burnout to blackout. Using alcohol to cope with an awkward work drinks is a poor idea. Burnout has been linked to panic attacks and alcohol abuse.

Then employees are terrified to ask for help in a bad culture. The LSJ labelled Law “the burnout profession.” It costs the industry over $10 billion a year and many lawyers their mental health.

So don’t give me the ‘you only have to put up with it for 2-3 years’ line to say it all gets better after a while. If you offered me three straight years of watching replays of Melbourne getting belted in the 2018 prelim, I would never take it.

Let’s improve the culture during office hours, not make an artificial one of cigar smoke and mirrors. Let’s create a safe and supportive workspace for each other.

Next week: Twinkle