Charity sees "sharp rise" in number of people seeking support over workplace bullying within legal sector

LawCare, the mental health charity for the legal sector, has reported an increase in the number of people reaching out for mental health support in 2023, with a sharp rise in people getting in touch because of workplace bullying.

According to its 2023 impact report, there was a 14% increase in the number of people contacting LawCare for mental health support.

Further, there has been a 95% increase in the number of people saying that workplace bullying, harassment, or discrimination was their “primary reason” for seeking support from LawCare.

The data shows that the majority (72%) of people who contacted LawCare were female.

Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare said: “2023 was one of our busiest years ever at LawCare, second only to 2020 when the pandemic started.

“I would urge individuals and organisations to start taking active steps to create working environments which better protect mental health and where bullying and harassment are not tolerated. We need to drive a collective responsibility in our sector to tackle bullying and harassment by identifying the workplace factors that can lead to it, such as low psychological safety and managers with little or no training and support, and taking positive action to address these.  

“We need to continue to challenge the stigma that prevents many still from speaking up about their mental health and seeking support. Each single act of storytelling, awareness raising, or advocacy contributes to transforming legal culture. You may never know the impact of your voice - you may give someone the confidence to seek help, provide them with the comfort of feeling less alone, or enable them to speak up too.”

Lottie Winson

LawCare provides free and confidential emotional support, peer support and information about mental health for anyone working in the law in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.