"Our hours became unpredictable. Some people lost their regular shifts. The contractor said we would be paid by the task instead of by the hour."
"Did you agree?"
"We were told we had to."
Rosa looked around.
"Some of us have worked here for fifteen years. We know which rooms need extra attention. We know which guests have special requests. We know how to prepare a room quickly without disturbing people. The contractor sent supervisors who didn't know the building."
Eleanor nodded.
"Did you raise concerns?"
"Yes. They said we were resisting modernization."
Rosa sat down.
A man beside her raised his hand.
His name was Thomas Bell.
He was fifty-three and had worked in the group's warehouse for twenty-two years.
"Our delivery routes were changed," he said. "The new system sends trucks to places that don't need supplies while other locations run out."
"Why?"
"They say the software is optimizing the routes."
"Is it?"
Thomas shook his head.
"It looks efficient on a screen. But it doesn't account for loading times, kitchen schedules, or the fact that some buildings have no rear access after noon."
A few employees laughed quietly.
Thomas continued.
"We told them. They said we needed to trust the system."
Eleanor smiled slightly.
"Systems are useful. But they need people who understand what they are measuring."
Thomas nodded.
"Exactly."
Another hand went up.
Then another.
The stories came slowly at first.
A pastry assistant who had been told to work unpaid overtime during a transition week.
A hotel receptionist whose schedule had been changed without notice.
A maintenance apprentice who had reported a dangerous electrical fault and then been told to stop making unnecessary complaints.
A kitchen porter whose job had been outsourced, only to find himself doing the same work under a contractor for less money and fewer benefits.
A regional accountant who had been asked to approve invoices without supporting documentation.
Each story was different.
Together, they formed a pattern.
The changes had been presented as modernization.
But the people experiencing them described confusion, pressure, and a growing sense that the company no longer trusted its own employees.
Eleanor listened.
She did not interrupt.
She did not defend the board.
She did not promise immediate solutions.
She asked questions.
Who gave the instruction?
When did it happen?
Was there an email?
Was anyone else present?
Did you keep a copy?
Sofia wrote everything down.
At one point, Daniel Mercer raised his hand.
Eleanor looked at him.
"Daniel?"
He stood.
"I don't know if my problem is important enough."
"Tell us anyway."
He swallowed.
"I started here two years ago. I'm still learning. Last month, I made a mistake with a reservation. I entered the wrong time for a family, and they arrived before their table was ready."
"What happened?"
"The supervisor told me to apologize and find them another table. I did."
"That sounds reasonable."
"It was. But later, a manager told me that if I wanted to keep my position, I should be careful about making mistakes during the restructuring period."
Eleanor frowned.
"Did the manager connect your mistake to the restructuring?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Mr. Vane."
Christopher Vane had apparently spoken to more people than Margaret.
Eleanor made a note.
"Did you receive a written warning?"
"No."
"Then we will document what happened. Thank you for telling us."
Daniel sat down.
His hands were shaking slightly.
Eleanor looked around the room.
"Anyone else?"
A woman near the window raised her hand.
She was in her early forties and wore a plain black uniform.
"My name is Patricia Webb. I work in the accounting department."
Martin Cole, who had joined the meeting quietly at the back, looked toward her.
Patricia continued.
"I've been with the company for fourteen years. I don't want to accuse anyone of anything. But I was asked to approve payments to Northbridge without the usual supporting documents."
"Who asked you?"
"An assistant in the finance department. He said the invoices had already been reviewed."
"Did you approve them?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because the descriptions were incomplete."
Patricia opened her folder.
"I sent an email asking for clarification. Two days later, I received a call from Christopher Vane."
"What did he say?"
"He told me I was slowing down the transition."
"Did he explain the invoices?"
"No."
"Did he ask you to approve them anyway?"
Patricia nodded.
"What happened after that?"
"I was removed from the payment approval process."
Martin's face tightened.
"Why wasn't I told?"
Patricia looked at him.
"I sent you an email."
Martin lowered his eyes.
"I'll find it."
Eleanor looked toward the back of the room.
"Martin, I appreciate that you're here. But I want everyone to understand that this meeting is not an opportunity to defend management. It's an opportunity for people to speak. Please let them finish."
Martin nodded.
"Of course."
Patricia continued.
"I kept copies of the emails."
"Good. Please provide them to the audit team."
"I will."
She sat down.