Half of all solicitors and other law firm employees feel 'burnt out' because of the pressures of work, but their managers are underestimating the extent of the problem, new research has suggested.

The survey of 100 lawyers and support staff by recruitment consultancy Hudson showed that one-third of respondents felt exhausted, with a quarter suffering from sleep deprivation or illness because they were so worried about work.


Some 36% also reported feeling more workplace stress than they did five years ago, mainly because they felt under strain from a greater competitive environment and the pressure to be available around the clock.


But although 44% of employers agreed the situation had deteriorated - with almost nine out of ten human resources managers reporting that people are taking more days off sick and almost half suggesting there had been a drop in productivity - only half have procedures in place to help staff suffering from burnout. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of managers said they did not believe it was an issue in their own firms.


Some 28% of lawyers, meanwhile, complained that their firms had made no attempt to address the problem of increased workloads.


Sarah Simpson, director at Hudson Legal UK, urged firms to provide more help - for their own sakes as well as their employees. 'Working long hours and being available 24/7 goes with the territory,' she said. 'But it is alarming that managers do not appear to be able to increase productivity and hold on to top talent at the same time.'


Hilary Tilby, chief executive of lawyers' support service LawCare, said the results were no surprise as incidents of burnout were overtaking other previously more prevalent problems. 'Seven years ago, the main thrust of LawCare calls related to alcohol abuse, but in 2004, there were five times as many calls about stress as there were about alcohol,' she said.


For advice from LawCare, tel: 0800 279 6888 or visit: www.lawcare.org.uk.