An analysis of studies on the wellbeing of law teachers in the UK and Australia in 2020 using the lens of seven psychosocial hazards of academic work

The wellbeing of academics in higher education has come under greater scrutiny in recent times as a matter of concern. Studies conducted in various countries around the world have established ‘evidence that academic staff in particular experience significant levels of stress from various aspects of their work’. In 2022, Wray and Kinman published an analysis of the psychosocial hazards that academic staff working in universities in the UK experienced using data from three waves of a national survey of academic staff from 2008, 2012 and 2014. The study employed a risk assessment framework developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which was used to measure the following seven key psychosocial hazards: demands, control, support from managers and colleagues, relationships, role and change management. This chapter considers the results of studies conducted in 2020 in the UK and Australia exploring the quality of the working life of law teachers. Applying the lens of the psychosocial hazards discussed in Wray and Kinman’s article, we examine some of the key workplace challenges identified in our data concerning barriers to achieving a high quality of working life in the legal academy. Our recommendations highlight the significance of senior management who balance the needs of the institution with the psychological health of staff.