It surrounds itself with the pastel shields of diversity committees and health advisors, rebadges HR as «talent management» and hires workspace - design consultants and installs pink noise generators, but the truth seeps out here and there: sixteen weeks without a day off (including weekends); equity partners sacked on the first day of sabbatical; women logging on to the firm system the day after giving birth to deal with an «urgent» client matter; every deal
commencement meeting in one Projects department
fixed for Saturday morning, despite protestations from two mothers in the team; endless expensive holidays cancelled
at the last minute, anniversaries, birthdays and weddings missed, sacrificed on the altar of «client service».