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I offer this politely, but everyone I know who has people who “don’t want to work” also has a second issue. When you talk to their co-workers or employees, it’s clear these people conduct themselves in a way that pushes folks away. It could be worth examining how you interact with others professionally. As the saying goes, it’s often true that people don’t want to work— for their current boss! It is harsh to say, but considering this is probably the right next step given an employee did tell you that your work environment gave her panic attacks over small items. I have worked in places like that… they all have turnover issues. And in all of them, “no one wants to work”! But many of those same lazy folks become successful elsewhere, oddly.
I understand others agree with you, but consider (i) they might be similarly situated, or (ii) they might be thinking the same thing I am but trying to be polite. I am normally in camp (ii) when someone broaches this sort of thing. I am someone who agrees. It’s impolite to push back on this.
Most people leave jobs because of poor management. I know one firm that has a partner that has been through at least 4 paralegals, two of whom quit on the spot after she verbally abused them. Yet she has not been corrected or anything .
People want to work somewhere they are treated respectfully and their contributions valued. If you can't do that, try another profession
The legal industry is one of the most toxic. I don’t know you OP, or your friends but maybe it’s a YOU issue, start there. Next it could be a law firm issue or an industry issue. I believe people are less inclined to stay in abusive/toxic work environments and are choosing their health and sanity - as opposed to other generations that would simply take it. The answer could be legal assistants are looking for the right fit and your firm wasn’t it. That’s fine, no need to make your/friends antidotal experience more than just that. Good luck with the next one, whatever you were doing before maybe try something different.
So true. I didn't realize it was so toxic until I was already in too deep. I've interviewed with 40 different legal teams in the last 1.5 years and almost all of them gave off red flags and appeared to be toxic work environments.
I think the reference to this woman having panic attacks is pretty telling. You seem to suggest that "admin tasks" wouldn't result in that response, but it absolutely can. I saw a partner at a past firm bring her LA to tears because of something administrative in nature, that was also completely beyond the LA's control. Work you consider mundane or banal can still cause someone else stress or anxiety. It doesn't sound like this person quit because she didn't want to work, but rather she didn't want to perform work that resulted in her feeling that way. As an at-will employee, that's absolutely her right. I honestly don't think it has anything to do with the law or a "younger generation" being soft. If anything, this generation isn't willing to remain in a position that doesn't satisfy them and I kind of applaud them for that. Life's too short.
As the other posters show, we’re in the midst of a weird cultural shift where employment is not a means to an end like it was for older generations. They seem to think they should be able to joyously frolic in fields and get paid for it, and when they are confronted with the fact that that’s not how real life works, they blame everyone else. The rest of us either have to adapt and try to accommodate the pansies, or hunker down until the next deep recession scares people back into reality.
AA1: Absolutely 100% accurate. 24/7 expectations. I’m Gen X and guarantee I’ve worked harder over the years than any Millennial so OP can can it with the pretentious preaching. Shut it OP and go polish your trophies.
You sound like you would be horrible to work for. Underestimating the stress of an admin position is naive and condescending. When an attorney you work with is combative and impolite, it's not conducive to a good work environment. It sounds like people are less interested in working for horrible people, and I think that's a good thing. Why should someone have to suffer to work for someone like you, who is dismissive of mental health and is disrespectful of the hard job that legal staff has to do.
Law is definitely not the totality of my life; however, there is something to be said about having a job you actually enjoy and want to do. If individuals do not enjoy what they are doing and/or dislike the work environment, the work product will likely suffer, which leads to dissatisfied clients. If one of my legal assistants were to tell me that they’re either bored or getting too anxious about the work I ask them to do, I would take some time to talk with them about it. I’d like to know that I’ve done what I could to make their lives easier (and ultimately my own) by listening to their concerns and by at least trying to make some adjustments accordingly. I know that I won’t be please everyone.
You may want to look at the way your firm treats employees instead of blaming the employees. I say this as a paralegal who worked for an attorney with anger issues which caused extreme anxiety for which I was put out of work.
Oh I so agree! Lawyers get away with cursing at the assistant, throwing things at the assistant! I've dealt with two screamers, one when I could never tell when the hell it was coming! But all the while, we are to be "professional at all times," communicative, while some lawyers - not all - act like tyrants on the job. The ones that are kind and decent - they have our backs. Their work product goes out the door w/no glaring errors, trust me. Some days I say like the character Sara on "Terminator" in 50 years none of this will matter. Another day!
The work environment has to change to accommodate the new crop of legal assistants. We can't give tough love in the same way. We can't teach through fear and perfectionism. That is kind of how I learned and honestly it was normal to me and it worked. But, these days the young people need more nurturing and validation. Excellent character, sincerity, don't be mean etc. Again, not what I grew up with but it has changed. My young boss complimented me so much I was like um what is this? But this is more of the new way. This is my sense of things in the past 8 years of my 30. Am I off base here? We have a whole new crop of young legal assistants and this is what I noticed. And some do not put up with xy and z *. It's interesting.
Agreed! It may also have something to do with the fact that technology has made us so much more efficient. That has led to higher expectations, but we are not wired for that volume of information or stamina. Sure, if I worked a lot filing and having in-person conversations or writing long, intentional memos once a day or less, I would have a much more energy than answering phone calls, emails, blancing 17 things at once. Our brains need a break and space to reset. We used to have that by waiting on hold on the phone, traveling to/from places, and not receiving instant replies by email. I am fine with slowing down a bit.
Also in re 'Attorney', people who cheat and don't work have always been around. You can just track it easier, now. I couldn't imagine working 1 hour and claiming eight.
I offer this reply…politely, You get what you pay for. I find most attorneys have large billable hours but recently upon looking for my next career opportunity found pay rates were still in range from 20 years ago?! How can that be? I also find many job postings look for a laundry list of skillsets only possible by a senior level candidates but the position list entry level. AKA we aren’t going to pay you what your worth. I additionally note that many jobs today wants 2-4 year degrees. Guess what I bring an extensive wealth of experience, loyalty to a company/firm, yet you won’t even see my resume because your filters annd HR ignore this! Start looking for senior candidates with experience and stop worrying whether they have a degree or not focus on what they know and have done. Next, pay them what they are worth, privide flexibility, stop micromanaging them into billable hours and you’ll find they’ll stick it out longer than the current generation which switches jobs every 3 years on average. I am one who wants to work!!! Have incredible resume and have been paid more than most with those degrees! Good luck finding people like me. We are diamonds in the rough! I’m tired of being let go because of “buyouts and restructuring”. I want a permanent home! I also don’t want a bully boss so check yourself if this is you.
What’s the common denominator here? Their panic attacks or the people they’re working for?
As the great philosopher Kim Kardashian said…
COVID’s disruption to schooling really did a number on this generation and did potentially irreparable damage to their development. Coupled with their consumption of new media made by their peers, you’re seeing a massive disconnect.
I need to evolve… because juniors are practically wetting themselves at the thought of needing to make a phone call or meet someone in person?
Hello. It's not that we don't want to work. But with IT, our bosses tend to think all we have to do is "push a button" to "get it out" which is not trrue. With the endless emails, and research of LRs, etc., working for 5-8 attys?, etc.,to get items properly done, formatted, the stress of getting "everything done" can be beyond overwhelming, depending on the firm. I've been doing this a long time. IT is not helping, it is giving us less time between tasks, which leads to a night of no sleep. I had a boss about 30 days ago, on a temp to perm job, where I learned if I was given a filing, or anything, I had "one hour" to turn it around - even if he didn't look at it for a week. I told the paralegal who told me this "that's not going to work out." I've worked for CEOs, firm strategy partners, but this young man a little over 40?, had me so spooked I was really stressed out. I knew he was unreasonable. No, it is not that we don't want to work, just treat us like people. We all want to work, earn a living and keep our homes if we managed to hang onto it after the financial crisis.
Yes, and it’s not just in the practice of law. I’m seeing and hearing of people in other industries saying that their motivation to go to work has tanked. For various reasons, many people have lost their joy in their job. Their job is not something they look forward to doing each day. For some, it’s the task and for others, it may be the work environment.
I know that your mindset and outlook matter, but what would you suggest lawyers do to recover and maintain the joy in the practice of law?
Sign off? Sounds like you don’t have much work ethic OP 😂 #delusional
OP I am on your side 100% here. I posted once in this bowl about having issues with staff and got immediately attacked for not paying enough, not having a good working environment blah blah blah. But at the end of the day some people want to get paid and do nothing. They are out there. You can tell which comments are written by people that have only ever been employees and which comments are written by the people paying their checks. Take the comments with a grain of salt.
A4 and OP - keep telling yourselves that, just keep pimping the narrative like tantruming toddlers not getting your way. Or, you could could take constructive comments to heart, listen, and probably improve your business, morale, and output.
But it’s easier to tantrum … 😂 🙄
Positive this wall to reality is also how you run your business. Its you, not others. But go on.
Is this what they teach in scumbag boss school these days
Seeing you calling commenters “dude” and “bro” among being argumentative with EVERYONE lol YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.
Just realize scheduling in and of itself can be very stressful. Also, let me just mention a pet peeve of mine: "last minute rushes." Getting last minute bombs at noon, or 1pm or 5pm due that day or tomorrow, that you were aware of 3 weeks ago (90 days ago?) and not letting us in on it also doesn't help. At best, ONE week ago would have been the time to begin learning about what was coming, to get behind the 8 ball to begin researching, pulling exhibits, etc., as to what was required vs. having to do it cold w/no time to think. Last minute issues, I get it, they happen. But if it is your practice to never bc your staff, send them a text what is coming up next week, etc., it is infuriating to the receiver when it slowly dawns on them that the boss has zero interest in how their management style impacts you. When little things could really make a huge impact. But the interest sometimes isn't there. That mindset carries over to performance reviews, etc.
A judge had a sign on the wall of his courtroom:
“Failure to prepare on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”
Another’s simply said: “Civility.”
Amen.
Maybe there is more to the story and the panic attacks then you have been told (try going to the source vs gossip). Maybe you don’t know all the supporting of not just what you think he or she was/is doing but maybe the side of they are underpaid leaving barely to survive alone much less with children. No support from other colleges and management while fellow legal assistants especially the younger have zero work ethic, pride, and basic knowledge of the job. Zero team building unless you call middle school clicks and bullying a team. Some attorneys never even give us the basic respect to say hello, good bye, thanks or even ask about us to built a rap-ore like even the baby summers get. Most attorneys assume that all LA’s are doing is “admin” but as one myself there is a hell of a lot more than smiling like a pretty princess adding calendar invites and submitting expenses!! Most are micromanaged by people who don’t even know who to do the job, over worked, under paid and under appreciated (a thank you goes a long way) and how are the fellow legal assistants do some seem to be happy and carefree because he or she gives their tasks to most likely the one overworked person? Do they support senior attorneys etc. each attorney is different on what they handle themselves and their case load. Just because people are being pushed to the edge of exhaustion. Some because their Human Resource staff does nothing to help or support you when things are reported. Even worse when you have labor and employment lawyers who know better and don’t want to “fit the bill to get them help” for the legal assistants that abuse prescription drugs and get high while one the job and they know about it. So instead of getting rid of the bad seeds out of desperation you finally get to the point you can’t take it and most likely have at minimum a panic attack. It is a heck of a lot better than that poor person being pushed to have a stroke or heart attack. People just need to start RESPECTING everyone. Period and maybe people will want to get back in the legal field to basically be your right hand while being treated like you are invisible.
They don’t care unfortunately. That would take effort.
Some people just don’t want to do this job. Maybe they’re creative types. Maybe they’d rather be a stay at home parent or a chef or literally anything else besides a law firm. Deal with it lol
🙄like no one quit a job for reasons beyond your comprehension. Yeah you’re judgmental.