You can't wellness-program your way out of a structural problem
- Sebastian Elawny
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
"We care about your mental health. Here's a mindfulness app and a yoga instructor. Now go bill 2,000 hours."
In most Canadian "Big Law" firms, junior associates are expected to hit 1,700-2,000 billable hours annually. Success is measured by hours billed, not dollars received. Recovery on those hours doesn't matter until you become more senior.
One of my favourite lines is “comp drives behaviour." I don’t have to tell you what behaviour this kind of model incentivizes…
The difference between the bottom and top of the billable hours range is massive. As a buddy once said to me, "100 hours isn't a lot, until you add it to 1,800. Those are your evenings and weekends."
Let’s not forget the expected, non-billable community work hours, which typically don’t count toward bonuses.
No weekends. No real vacations. I’ve lost count of how many times I had to tell my kids, "Sorry… you guys head down to the beach, and I'll meet up with you as soon as I can."
A national wellness study funded by the CBA and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada found lawyers stressed at just 1,200 billable hours. So, firms offer yoga and mental health resources while maintaining the exact structure causing the burnout.
Performative care, if you ask me. You can't wellness-program your way out of a structural problem.
Many want billable-hour targets gone, especially as targets for lawyers in their first few years of practice. But that would require fundamentally changing how firms make money, and I’m not sure “Big Law” has the appetite for that conversation.
The billable hour system isn't a neutral measurement. It's an incentive structure that shapes behaviour, culture, and ultimately who survives in “Big Law.” It's working exactly as designed… just not for the lawyers grinding those hours.
Next week: How this weeds out future partners.
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