Off the Record

What's next after #MeToo? Experts say bullying represents the new "frontier" for workplace rights battles. In this exclusive investigation by Off the Record, real lawyers share their harrowing experiences of micro-management, harassment, humiliation, name-calling, verbal abuse and even physical assault. Warning: some material may be distressing for listeners.

Burnout has become a hot topic for professionals in 2019 and millennials are not the only employees at risk. As “flexible work” continues to invade our private lives, lawyers are being asked to handle the heat or wither. Off the Record is hosted by journalist Kate Allman and produced by Storymill Studios, with proud assistance from our sponsor Legal Home Loans.

2018 has seen an historic outpouring of men and women sharing their stories of sexual harassment at work. Until now, lawyers have remained relatively silent about their own #MeToo stories. But the whisperings are growing louder. Episode 2 of Off The Record exposes a hidden scourge driving talent away from the profession.Hosted by journalist Kate Allman, featuring interviews with Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, Womens Agenda Editor Georgina Dent, employment lawyer Josh Bornstein, Vice-President of Australian Women Lawyers Association Leah Marrone and CEO of the Law Society of NSW Michael Tidball.

Studies have shown lawyers are three times as likely as the general population to be problem drinkers, and yet alcohol is served at almost every work function in the legal industry. And while many lawyers are aware of the risks around depression and mental health in the legal industry, the "drinking culture" in law is often less spoken about. Episode 1 of Off the Record delves deeper into the "taboo" issue of alcoholism in law. Does the legal profession have a drinking problem? And what does stress, deadlines and anxiety have to do with it? Tune in for a compelling discussion with practising lawyers, journalists and psychologists including former Channel Seven journalist Talitha Cummins and Dr Tim Sharp of the Happiness Institute. Hosted by LSJ editors Claire Chaffey and Kate Allman.