The law and overwork
I was shocked when a young lawyer from London told me why she quit her job. The stress and the long hours show corporate law as an extreme case of denial of workers’ need for free time, and pose challenges for unionising workers over working hours. I asked Misha (not her real name) about working in a law firm. “While working from home due to COVID, I would start between 6-8am and finish between 9-11pm, and work at least one day on the weekend, sometimes both.” Misha recounted stories of colleagues’ distress. Many “would go to the toilet to have a cry to release the anxiety and stress.” A woman...