Chapter 41 Layla
The Life Experiment: Daily Questionnaire
Property of OPM Discoveries
What are two things you are grateful for today?
How busy my job keeps me
I don’t know. Chocolate muffins? Or maybe finding out Angus was a liar before I got in too deep. Let’s stick with the muffins
What are you struggling with today?
Everything, I guess. Everything is difficult
Do you have any additional notes on what you would like to discuss in your upcoming counselling session?
Why I am such a gullible, clueless idiot
Nerves rattled through Layla as she inspected her appearance in the bathroom mirror. With beads of sweat tracing her brow, Layla dreaded to think what her heart rate was. Saira would probably see her data and panic.
While Layla wouldn’t say she felt awful, she didn’t feel good either. Public speaking always made her underarms prickle with sweat. Usually, she could feign confidence and push through the moment, but Layla had never presented to the entire board of Senior Partners at Mayweather & Halliwell.
‘All you can do is your best, kiddo,’ David had said when Layla called him last night.
‘What if my best isn’t good enough?’
‘Well, it’s always good enough for me and your mum.’
Layla had to fight an eye-roll at the unhelpful sentiment. ‘That’s sweet, but you’re not the ones who pay my wages.’
‘So what? What do those stuck-up lawyers know, anyway?’
Despite herself, Layla laughed. ‘They know a lot.’
‘Not as much as my little girl. I always say you have the brain of ten men. Go prove it.’
After hanging up, Layla felt she could do exactly that, but now that the presentation was ahead of her, she wasn’t so sure. Her confidence in the yellow suit Maya convinced her to wear was wavering too, even if Michelle had called it a ‘power move’ when Layla walked into the office that morning.
As she gnawed her lower lip, Layla wished more than anything that she could call Angus. His calm, measured tone would soothe her in an instant.
No , her brain snapped. No thoughts of Angus. Not now. This is too important.
But it was no use. All Layla seemed to do was think of Angus. His broken expression, his assertion that he wanted her… For what felt like the hundredth time since their showdown three days ago, Layla wondered if she should have heard him out.
While there was no denying her fury at Angus’s lies, there was something in the way Angus spoke about himself that broke her heart.
How could someone with as much going for them as Angus think they were a failure?
Did he really live with so much shame? Layla didn’t know, and she hadn’t given Angus the time to explain.
She’d shouted and fled, but with every step she took, Layla’s gut told her that she was making a mistake.
But fleeing was easier. Fleeing meant that Layla would never have to see the look on Angus’s face when she admitted to her death date.
See, he’s not the only one who’s been lying , her conscience pointed out. Can you really judge him?
As a bitter sigh left Layla’s lips, Rashida burst into the bathroom. ‘Don’t even think about doubting how great you look,’ she commanded.
‘Rashida’s right,’ Sinead agreed from close behind her. ‘I’ve never seen you look so on point.’
‘Or so nervous.’ Approaching her friend, Rashida reached into the cosmetics bag Layla had set down beside the sink. ‘Here, let me help.’
As Rashida touched up Layla’s makeup, Sinead smiled. ‘You’ve got this, Layla. What you’re doing will change this company forever.’
‘It better. The working group didn’t put so much effort in for you and Michelle to mess up at the last hurdle,’ Rashida joked, sweeping a sheen of highlighter across Layla’s cheeks.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
‘Layla, are you in there?’ Michelle’s voice rang from the hallway.
‘She is,’ Rashida confirmed.
Stepping into the bathroom, Michelle eyed Layla’s nervous expression. ‘I thought I saw you dash in here,’ she said before turning to Rashida and Sinead. ‘Would you mind giving us a moment?’
Nodding, Rashida and Sinead headed for the door, but not without giving Layla a thumbs up first.
When the door had swung shut behind them, Michelle approached the sink and started to tidy Layla’s makeup away.
‘I’m not going to ask if you’re ready for this, but I am going to tell you you’re ready.
I want you to tell yourself that too. The way we speak to ourselves has more power than we realise.
So, assure yourself that in a few minutes we are going to go into that boardroom, and we are going to be heard. ’
‘But what if the Senior Partners don’t listen?’ Layla asked, raking her teeth over her bottom lip.
‘It’s our job to make them listen. Now, come on. Let’s make today one that will go down in Mayweather & Halliwell history.’
With that encouragement flowing through her, Layla followed Michelle out of the bathroom and across the office. Every eye was on them, but Layla didn’t flinch from the scrutiny. Instead, she ordered herself to stride on like she was completely in control.
Together, the women headed to the top floor meeting room where the Senior Partners were waiting.
‘Michelle, Layla,’ each said as they shook their hands.
As Layla returned their greetings, she tried not to think of how much power was in the room. Or how as fast as those men could shake her hand, they could also fire her.
Then, when all the greetings were done, it was time to begin.
Michelle spoke first, as rehearsed. She ran through their presentation, giving an overview of her career and the challenges she had faced along the way.
The partners appeared to be listening, but it was when Michelle ran through statistics about Mayweather & Halliwell’s employment and promotion history that they really paid attention.
By the time Michelle presented the low scores generated from a well-being and satisfaction survey Layla had sent to all staff, the Senior Partners were hooked.
‘Gentlemen, none of this should come as a shock,’ Michelle said, ‘but it should be a call to action. From the evidence presented, we can see firsthand that inequality exists within this company, and that it greatly impacts the staff we claim to value. But it doesn’t have to be like this.
We can change it, and improve not just our company culture, but our output too.
‘To speak more on that, I’m going to pass over to Layla. Many of you have had the privilege of working with her. You’ll know firsthand how much Layla’s passion, dedication and undeniable talent brings to Mayweather & Halliwell. Layla, over to you.’
As Michelle took a seat, Layla stepped forward. She eyed the long boardroom desk and the grey-haired, suited men who sat around it. Their expressions were stoic, their gazes sharp. Suddenly, Layla felt smaller than ever.
As her wide eyes roamed around the room, Wallace Horton nodded encouragingly at her. A Senior Partner she had worked with before, Wallace was firm but fair, tough but adaptable. And now there he was, nudging Layla to go for it.
‘Mayweather & Halliwell is one of the most prestigious law firms in the UK,’ she began.
‘It attracts elite clientele and the most promising, results-driven staff. However, as Michelle pointed out, almost two thirds of employees are considering leaving the company in the next six months. They listed a poor work–life balance, lack of communication and an unfair hierarchy as the main reasons for this. These are all things that Mayweather & Halliwell has the power to change. Choosing not to will only lead to one thing: the talent pool we train moving to our competitors. The figures Michelle presented show that this has been happening at an increasing rate. This means our competitors are profiting directly from the state of our culture.’
A few of the Senior Partners leaned closer, their interest piqued.
‘While getting ahead of our competitors is a compelling reason to implement change, there are other reasons for focusing on employee wellbeing,’ Layla said, settling into the rhythm of her speech now. ‘Would anyone like to guess what they could be?’
‘Productivity?’ someone called out.
‘Growth?’ someone else suggested.
‘Absolutely, both outcomes can be achieved by improving staff wellbeing,’ Layla replied.
‘Another reason is that it’s better for people’s health.
Creating a healthy workforce is in your interest. After all, long-term sick leave directly impacts the bottom line.
Does anyone know what one of the leading causes for health-related leave is? ’
Layla looked around the room, taking in the number of shaking heads.
‘It’s stress,’ she said.
A low, knowing chuckle rang out, but Layla didn’t find it funny anymore. She hadn’t since the day Saira handed her that envelope.
‘Stress is killing us day by day. It shouldn’t be that way.
No one goes into a career in law expecting it to be easy.
None of us are ill-prepared for hard work, but over two thirds of staff report feeling stress at a level that affects their eating and sleeping habits, as well as their personal relationships. This must change.’
There was a strain to Layla’s voice as she spoke. Everything she had squashed down, all the anger and animosity she felt towards this place, bubbled to the surface, ready to burst free should her voice not be heard.
So make it heard .
Tilting her chin higher, she addressed the room.
‘At Mayweather & Halliwell, we attract the best and brightest, but the best and brightest can only remain that way when they are rested, supported and valued.
That includes benefits like parental leave and flexible working arrangements, visible praise, rewards and incentives, and an unbiased promotion review period.
‘Several studies have found that when people feel appreciated and have a manageable workload, both their productivity and satisfaction increases. The aim of this meeting is to outline our proposal, but over the next few weeks, Michelle and I will present plans that could transform this firm and the lives of those working for it. Our ultimate goal is to make Mayweather & Halliwell an organisation people want to work at for a lifetime, not a short time. Thank you.’
Ducking her head, Layla stepped backwards, but Michelle placed her hand in the centre of Layla’s back, holding her in place.
Her speech was met with silence until Bernard Addington cleared his throat.
‘That was very rousing,’ he drawled, ‘but everyone at this table did late nights and took work on holiday with them. It’s part of the job.
If people aren’t prepared for that, maybe they should question their decision to work in law in the first place. ’
The knot in Layla’s stomach tightened as several people around the table nodded in agreement, but with Michelle’s steady presence beside her, Layla cleared her throat.
‘Just because something happened in the past, it doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t mean it should happen in the future.
Progress can’t be made if we stick to the status quo. ’
Bernard’s mouth lifted into a smirk. ‘The status quo has served everyone here well.’
‘That may be so,’ Layla replied, ‘but if Mayweather & Halliwell wants to remain one of the best firms in the industry, attitudes need to change. People need to adapt.’
Another beat of silence echoed through the wood-clad room, this one more static than the one before. Oh shit , Layla panicked. This is where they fire you.
But then Wallace stood up, his six-foot frame towering over the other partners. ‘Well, Layla, we have a lot to consider, but it’s safe to say you’ve woken the dinosaurs at this table from their slumber. Well done.’
As Wallace reached out to shake her hand, Layla grinned. The instant she allowed herself to feel the joy of the achievement, Layla’s mind wandered to the one person she wanted to share it with…
Suddenly, the colourful moment turned sepia.