Brenna Lewis was the model employee. For about a year and a half she worked front desk night shifts at various Heartland Inns in Iowa, where managers said she did a “great job” and “fit into the [front desk] position really well.”

On Dec. 15, 2006, Lewis' manager, Lori Stifel, received permission from the company's director of operations, Barbara Cullinan, to offer Lewis a full-time day-shift position. Without needing to go through another interview, Lewis started her new job by the end of the month.