“Departure memos” are fixtures at many large companies in the United States, including law firms. Above the Law has recognized that these, often very personal, memos make for fascinating reading, especially those written by disgruntled lawyers. Generally published anonymously, examples range from hot tempered rants, to reports of shocking treatment, to quirky future plans, practical jokes and even overly effusive praise. It seems that the final farewell in the U.S. is often treated as an opportunity to let it all hang out.
A recent departure memo from an overwhelmed mother, which addressed work-life balance, caught the attention of the New York Times. The female associate described a day in her life, involving a 4am rise to a screaming baby and 1.30am bedtime, after attempting to meet mounting work tasks. She went on to say that she “[had] not been able to simultaneously meet the deadlines of career and family, so have chosen to leave private practice.”
Elie Mystal, author of the Above the Law post and father of a six-week-old baby, remarked, “It shouldn’t be so damn hard — in the richest country on Earth — to have a big-time job and be a loving parent.” Mystal describes the departure memo as “heartbreaking” but also “uplifting.” He writes, “You can’t have it all. When you finally come to accept that, it’s liberating. You don’t have to feel like a bad employee or a bad parent for not being able to do it all.”
Canadian lawyers don’t write such candid and public reasons for leaving, but this recent essay in The Globe comes quite close.
To see Precedent’s take on work-life balance, see our 5 big ideas — rethink work-life balance from the Fall 2012 issue.
Image: Inha Leex Hale