This month I’ve had conversations with heads of Well-being, Professional Development, DEI, Recruiting and HR that have all echoed the same theme. What I’m hearing is that the professionals in law firms that have been looking after the lawyers (and others) for the past 2+ years are burnt out.
I am deeply concerned because these are the same professionals who have been checking in on attorneys to make sure they have the resources and support they need. These are the people who have made sure that new attorneys are integrating well and that feel connected to the firm. These are the professionals who are oftentimes the glue of the firm.
What they share with me is that they are emotionally exhausted and often feel unappreciated.
These important roles have had very little downtime since the pandemic began. There’s an unspoken expectation that these professionals, who are mostly women, will take care of everyone.
But who is taking care of these caretakers?