There was a strange line everyone navigated. They could say some things to Duncan but not all things. It was a boundary they skirted and didn’t always get right. There were things it was a good idea not to complain about. Complaining about the system was risky. It was verging on saying they couldn’t do their jobs and if they couldn’t do their jobs, they weren’t doing their jobs and that was probably not something they wanted to advertise. Realistically, the system was fine. It was slow and buggy, but it did everything they needed it to do. No one would complain about it if the new system hadn’t been announced. The complaining was their way of saying goodbye and thank you.

‘Yeah.’ Duncan stopped cooking and was looking out over the car park and taking a sip of his beer. ‘I guess so. The roll-out will be hard. Don’t be deluded about that, but maybe you’re right, maybe it will be easier because we’re aiming for something better. Like in the long run.’

‘Great speech, boss.’ Peggy patted him on the shoulder, and they all laughed. Duncan was the first to laugh. He didn’t really want to be a boss, but what else was there? He couldn’t be a call centre operator all his life. His girlfriend wanted to have a baby. Management was more transferable.