Commentary |
 |
Comment |
Is depression seen as a weakness in the workplace?
If you were a talented young employee on the fast track, or a highly respected senior executive who is suffering serious depression, would you be confident that disclosing that information to colleagues internally would not impact on your career?
For all of the broader understanding of the causes and consequences of depression in the community it's perhaps an issue that hasn't been as openly addressed in the workplace.
Lawyers work in a profession who have some of the highest rates of depression. Part of this is due to the nature of our job which is natural perfectionists who are trained to focus on risk and the potential downside of any situation. And believe me you don't want a lawyer who says 'well this will probably result in your business losing millions down the track, but what the hell let's take the risk and live a little'.
So what's the answer?
A large part is simply recognising the issue in the workplace.
In doing so business is sending a strong signal that depression is not something to be hidden, to be ashamed of and importantly not a potential career crater.
Last night, Australia's five largest law firms – Allens Arthur Robinson, Blake Dawson, Clayton Utz, Freehills and Mallesons Stephen Jaques, launched the Depression and Anxiety Working Group, in conjunction with the College of Law and university law faculties.
The group aims to build resilience and raise awareness and understanding of the nature and impact of stress, depression and anxiety across the legal profession. It will also devise and provide self-help strategies, support and other resources for those with depression, stress and anxiety.
The group was initially formed in 2009 as a response to the release of the report Courting the Blues: Attitudes towards depression in Australian law students and legal practitioners. The report details the findings of research conducted by the Brain and Mind Research Institute in conjunction with the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation. Tristan was a talented young lawyer who sadly took his own life.
Part of the initiative is a DVD where lawyers, senior associates, partners and Queens Counsel at the Bar all talk about their experience in battling depression and importantly in overcoming it. The participants are named and talk openly and honestly. Being among the first in the profession to openly speak about the issue is not only courageous on the part of all those interviewed it is, to use a legal term, setting a precedent.
Let's not pretend this isn't a complex issue.
There are questions as to what exactly the role should be of business to assist employees with depression and where a manager's responsibilities begin and end in regards to an employee suffering depression. It is important too that the issue of depression is not used by the unscrupulous as a convenient cover to excuse poor performance or unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.
And depression is not a problem that effects just the legal profession. All professions and industries need to look closely at ways of providing resources for their employees to maintain their physical and mental health.
Thanks to the work of organisations such as beyondblue, the community has come to learn more about depression and, in turn, this has led to the lessening of the unfortunate stigma that has surrounded the condition.
Now it is the turn of business to play its part.
Paul Quinn is a partner at law firm Allens Arthur Robinson where he heads the Corporate Department and is the Practice Director of the Melbourne office.
Contribute to the Conversation
To contribute your comments for possible publication, please Login or Register.
Preference will be given to succinct contributions. We may contact you via email prior to publication.
