Competition for legal talent, concerns about lawyer burnout, and the pressures of modern legal work are all major hurdles for law firms as we approach 2027. While these challenges have no single solution, one area that deserves greater attention is office ergonomics.

Ergonomics centers on creating working environments that support people’s physical wellbeing and making it easier for employees to work comfortably, whether they’re in the office, at home, or moving between the two.

In this guide, we explore why better office ergonomics is a good place to start when looking to improve employee wellbeing and reduce law firm attrition rates in 2027.

Why office ergonomics for law firms is essential

Retaining legal talent in an increasingly competitive market

Attracting and retaining experienced legal professionals is an ongoing concern for law firms. Losing employees can mean substantial recruitment and onboarding costs, disrupted client relationships, and additional pressure on the colleagues who remain.

The data

Research from BigHand’s 2025 Legal Resource Management Report highlights the scale and direction of law firm attrition, revealing:

• The average firm-wide lawyer attrition had reached 27%
• The proportion of associates leaving the legal profession altogether increased from 9% in 2024 to more than 16% in 2025.

9% of respondents also confided that lateral hiring of nonequity partners was having little, no, or even a negative impact, underscoring the importance of employee retention measures.

Compensation, career progression, management, and workload all of course influence employees’ experiences and their willingness to stay with a firm (or remain in the industry at large). But the physical working environment is another factor worth considering.

How office ergonomics helps

Lawyers routinely spend extended periods drafting documents, reviewing contracts, conducting research, and communicating with clients. When workstation arrangements are unsuitable or employees struggle to make ergonomic adjustments, discomfort can become an additional challenge during an already demanding working day.

A well-designed ergonomics programme cannot guarantee that employees will stay, but it is a tangible way to improve the employee experience and can help firms address avoidable problems in their working environment.

By providing appropriate ergonomics assessments, practical guidance, and a clear process for resolving identified issues, firms can demonstrate that employee wellbeing is part of their day-to-day operations.

When properly communicated, an office ergonomics program can also strengthen recruitment strategies, helping law firms to win top legal talent and scale effectively.

Addressing lawyer wellbeing beyond burnout

Lawyer wellbeing has become an increasingly important issue for the legal profession, with demanding workloads and sustained workplace pressure creating challenges for both individuals and employers.

The data

The American Bar Association’s 2025–2026 lawyer wellbeing study found that 47.4% of surveyed lawyers screened positive for high burnout. It also found that 41.1% reported that their time in the legal profession had been detrimental to their mental health.

In the age of self-care, where people are increasingly prioritising their mental health, it’s not such a stretch to suggest this could be contributing to the current rate of law firm employee attrition.

Related – 5 data-backed reasons to prioritize mental health at work

These findings highlight the importance of taking employee wellbeing seriously. They also raise questions about whether existing workplace support is sufficient.

Of course, addressing burnout requires a broader response than any single workplace intervention can provide. But the physical working environment should not be overlooked.

How office ergonomics helps

Discomfort associated with an unsuitable workstation can add another source of strain to an already demanding working day. Poorly positioned screens, unsuitable seating, and awkward keyboard or mouse placement can contribute to musculoskeletal discomfort, while prolonged periods in static positions can make comfortable working more difficult.

Alongside providing mental health resources and using technology to streamline workloads, firms can help employees assess their workstations, understand how to make appropriate adjustments, and identify problems that require further attention. 

A well-designed working environment can also support employees’ ability to focus on demanding tasks, and increases cybersecurity vigilance – which is critical in a sector that deals with such sensitive data.

Where non-lawyer staff are as busy as lawyers themselves, maintaining an office ergonomics program may seem unrealistic, but there are ways to improve working conditions without the admin burden. Cardinus, for example, can deliver a fully managed office ergonomics program on your behalf.

Managing long hours and the realities of modern legal Work

The demands of legal work often mean lawyers and support staff work more than their contracted hours. Being that much of this work takes place in an office environment, whether on the firm’s premises or at home, workstations need to be optimised for sustainable working.

The data

Research from Law360’s ‘Pulse’ 2025 Lawyer Satisfaction Survey found that 45% of respondents worked more than 50 hours per week on average. At firms with more than 1,000 lawyers, this proportion rose to 64%.

Bloomberg Law’s Attorney Workload and Hours Survey provides further insight into how work extends beyond the traditional working day. It found that 97% of respondents had worked while out of the office, with 73% doing so on at least half of their days off.

How office ergonomics helps

Sound office ergonomics ensures workstations are designed around the worker, reducing discomfort and making longer working hours a more sustainable prospect.

Workspaces that place unnecessary strain on the body and/or senses can be debilitating under normal working conditions. Longer hours and the stress associated with certain legal roles, work, and tasks can significantly increase the risk of:

• Burnout
• Musculoskeletal disorders
• Digital eye strain

From there, productivity declines, creating a negative feedback loop in which work hours get even longer, discomfort worsens, and feelings of burnout become more intense. This can impact both the quality of work carried out and, more importantly, the mental health of employees.

Ergonomics that support the hybrid lawyer

As hybrid working has become so common in the legal sector, an appropriate office ergonomics solution should support lawyers and non-lawyer staff wherever work happens.

Healthy Working, our award-winning office ergonomics software, can be customized to any office-based workstation, providing tailored ergonomic advice, training and escalation for legal staff working at home or on-site. Learn more about Healthy Working.

Building a healthier law firm with Cardinus

By investing in office ergonomics, law firms can improve the physical environment in which their lawyers and support staff work, making the demands of the industry more manageable and feasible over the long term.

At Cardinus, our flexible office ergonomics solutions are designed to fill any gaps in your ergonomics program or even serve as an entire end-to-end program in of themselves – reducing injuries, improving wellbeing, and increasing productivity.

Contact Cardinus today on (323) 337-9016 or at [email protected] to learn more about our office ergonomics services and how they can help you protect both your teams and firm profitability.