Solicitors in revolt against long hours

By Andrew TowlerSolicitors' attitudes to working long hours, a desire for a better balanced life and willingness to move on are set to force firms to change their expectations of employees, a major survey of 1,000 practitioners across the country has concluded.The lawyers' lifestyle survey by recruiters Hays ZMB found that while 60% of respondents drawn from firms of all sizes said they worked more than 50 hours a week a figure that rose to 70% in the largest firms - only one-third were willing to sacrifice their social lives for the sake of their careers.Nearly a quarter of those surveyed said a full social life is more important than a career, and one-third said it was likely that they would be changing jobs in the next 12 months.

At the same time, 55% agreed with the statement: 'I believe that my firm gives me the chance to lead a full life outside work'.Sally Horrox, managing director of Hays ZMB, said the results 'painted a picture of a more pragmatic workforce, who feel they have greater control over the direction their career is heading'.She said: 'Employees have higher expectations than they used to and with the market buoyant they have a greater sense of self-worth.

They are still willing to make sacrifices, but only in the first five years of employment.'More than half the respondents maintained that partnership is not compatible with full participation in a family, with women far more concerned than men.

And as a similar number are unwilling to put a career before social life, it is clear that one of the sides will have to give.Solicitor Barry Pritchard, co-ordinator of lawyer support group Solcare, said that 70% of cases referred to him for stress came from lawyers who had qualified within the past five years.'This may be why so many new lawyers in the survey expected to change job,' he said.

'Younger lawyers worried about their legal future in a firm are more reluctant to say they are stressed to the senior partners - who they think may view it negatively.

They don't feel in a position to make a difference and look for a firm with an attitude similar to their own.'A quarter of lawyers think their employers do not give them a chance to lead a full life outside work.

Mr Pritchard said firms should be more aware of the hours employees are working and that 'more solicitors should be trained in staff management'.He added: 'Some firms are still working in a culture that applied 40 years ago.'Nonetheless, the majority of respondents expressed a 'reasonable degree of satisfaction' with their working lives and the impact that practising law had on their social lives.Alistair Gray, HR and quality director at Sheffield-based national firm Irwin Mitchell, said: 'Following all the negative press I've read, I thought the survey would show more lawyers working longer hours.' He said his firm regularly surveys employees on these issues: 'People have different priorities these days; not everybody considers partnership the holy grail.'