The Work Couch: Addiction in the legal sector (Part 1): Shattering the stigma and shifting mindsets, with Steve McCann, Becky Banks and Charlotte Reid

Welcome to The Work Couch, the podcast where we discuss all things employment.

Content warning: The following content explores themes around addiction in a workplace context, including substance use and gambling, which some people might find distressing.

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we are devoting a two-part conversation to explore how substance use and other addictive coping behaviours can show up in high-pressure environments, including the legal sector - and what a more recovery-informed, psychologically safe culture looks like in practice.

In part one, we hear about the lived experience and how law firms are increasingly engaging with addiction issues in a proactive way. Host Ellie Gelder is joined by Steve McCann and Becky Banks from MCG Consulting - a pioneering consultancy specialising in addiction awareness, recovery-informed inclusion and workplace culture transformation – and completing the panel, Charlotte Reid, senior associate in our Employment, Engagement & Equality team.

Together, they discuss:

• Steve and Becky's own experiences of addiction and the work they are now doing with MCG to support law firms in raising awareness and embedding a recovery-informed culture;
• the importance of terminology, inclusive language and avoiding stereotypical assumptions;
• how to identify an addictive coping behaviour;
• common workplace red flags to be alive to and how these can vary across different roles, career stages and areas of law;
• how a recovery-informed work environment is integral to risk management, regulatory compliance, employee retention and reputation; and
• how the employer mindset is shifting in the legal sector, including the evolution of policies, training and support routes, and firms increasingly adopting a more nuanced approach of "checking in", not "catching out".

In Part 2, the panel focus on action: how to be an effective ally, and practical steps to support colleagues in and beyond recovery.

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All information is correct at the time of recording. The Work Couch is not a substitute for legal advice.

To access further support on addiction issues, you may wish to visit: Alcohol Change UK, Smart Recovery, GAMCare (for gambling related harm) or We Are With You.

 References

• Report by Deloitte on the cost of poor mental health to UK employers (May 2024) 
• Report by LawCare: Life in the Law (September 2025)