Stress at work for corporate counsel

The report, 'The state of stress among in-house professionals', published this week, is based on research among more than 1,600 US in-house legal professionals. Two-thirds reported moderate to severe stress.

Stress affects employee attrition—among legal employees reporting high stress, almost one in four (24%) said they plan to leave their jobs within the next year.

The research found a link between long hours and stress, with professionals working more than 55 hours per week five times more likely to suffer high stress levels than those working fewer than 45 hours. Stress levels were notably higher at the upper end of the chain of command, with one quarter of chief legal officers and other senior officers reporting ‘high’ stress.

Jason L Brown, ACC president and chief executive officer, said: ‘These findings underscore the growing intensity of the in-house legal function and highlight the urgent need for organisations to address workload, resourcing, and structural demands affecting their legal teams.

‘Today’s legal departments operate at the intersection of business risk, strategy, and compliance. When stress levels become unsustainable, the ripple effects extend well beyond the legal team—affecting the quality and speed of business decisions, increasing operational and compliance risks, weakening collaboration, and ultimately undermining the organisation’s ability to retain critical talent.’