Ashton couldn’t believe it. Had Jessie really meant to send him such a mean text? Ashton was thrilled being the co-owner of a successful business and didn’t understand why Jessie would be unhappy. Where was this hostility coming from, and if she was upset, why wouldn’t she come and talk to him? They had been friends for over 6 years and had gone through the ups and downs of university life together. They shared a passion for business and were both entrepreneurs. They both believed in providing high-quality products at reasonable prices. They were the best of friends! But maybe not anymore.

Background

Jessie Singh and Ashton Chan met during new student orientation day at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They had been seated at the same table and became fast friends. The light banter quickly gave way to a deeper conversation about their hopes and dreams, including why they had each decided to attend University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As it turned out, both Jessie and Ashton were enrolled in the bachelor of business undergraduate degree program. Neither of them had decided on a major, but both expressed a keen interest in learning more about accounting and finance.

Throughout the next 5 years, Jessie and Ashton were in many of the same classes and therefore had numerous opportunities to work on group projects together. As they did, they discovered that they had a lot of personal interests in common. They liked the same Indi bands, they liked the same type of food, and they both listed Maui as their favourite vacation spot. On top of this, they both had a strong work ethic and always strove to do well on group projects. “Anything but an A is not okay” was their motto and, through their hard work and dedication, both finished each year of the program on the dean’s list.

Graduation was just around the corner, and neither Jessie nor Ashton had selected a major throughout their program. Nothing had really appealed to them, so they had both decided to finish with a general business degree. Therefore, when Jessie approached Ashton with the idea of starting their own business, they both thought it was a terrific chance to use all the knowledge they had acquired over the past years while being their own bosses. They agreed that “Friends to the end!” would be their new motto as they began the process of starting their new company.

The Company

Many of Jessie’s friends had commented that the price of high-quality perfumes was ridiculous. Body sprays were a cheaper option but certainly didn’t provide the same quality or aroma as perfume. Therefore, when Jessie read an article about a company in Mexico that specialized in making knock-off perfume, she was intrigued. Market research showed that the products were of high quality and that consumers really couldn’t tell the difference between a brand name and the mock fragrance. Jessie and Ashton quickly took this product idea and put together a very financially solid and viable business plan, being careful not to infringe on trademarks and to clearly market their products as “mock” perfume and not counterfeits. A small store space in a busy strip mall was leased, profit margins on products were calculated, expenses (including reasonable annual salaries for both Jessie and Ashton, who would split the shifts) were accounted for, and a bank loan was easily secured to get the company off the ground.

The company, This Makes Scents, opened for business on March 1 and, in just 8 months, business had increased beyond initial projections. Sales were growing, and it was often difficult to keep enough inventory on hand. Both Jessie and Ashton agreed that this was a terrific problem to have as they rarely had items sitting on the shelf for long periods of time. The growth in business had also meant that 4 new employees were hired to help with the various shifts. As such, the store was now open 7 days a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on each day.

The Current Situation

Jessie was furious! When she had started the company with Ashton, she’d assumed that they would be partners and share in the responsibilities. However, she was responsible for all the product ordering and inventory tracking and, to make matters worse, all the complaints from their 4 employees and all the problems seemed to be directed at her. This wasn’t the type of environment she wanted to work in, and the stress was taking a toll on her physical and mental health.

The strip mall where the store was located had just sent out notification that the stores had to be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day or leases would not be renewed.

The 1st employee had told Jessie that he could not work past 4:00 p.m. on any day as he had to pick up his children from daycare. He muttered something about requiring accommodation and expecting the company to follow the law. He also suggested that an employee handbook be developed so that clear policies were available to everyone.

The 2nd employee had sent Jessie an email stating that she wanted clarification on overtime payments and statutory holidays. Specifically, this employee wanted to know why the store wasn’t closed on the last Canada Day and demanded explanations regarding scheduling and payments. “I used to like working here, but now the hours are a grind, and I don’t have any input into when I work.”

The 3rd employee was upset because he wasn’t getting enough overtime and felt the distribution of extra shifts was unfair. He wanted to be able to bank his extra time and then take time off at a later date. He also wanted to book 2 weeks of vacation, had asked Ashton about this, and had been told “no.” As such, he was threatening to sue the company and told Jessie, “You better get your partner in line as employees are entitled to 2 weeks of vacation according to the law. I don’t care that I didn’t receive a written offer letter when I started this job, but I know my rights! I thought this would be a neat place to work, but the customers are mean and the owners are worse.”

The 4th employee had sent Jessie an email noting that a customer dropped a bottle of perfume and, while cleaning up the broken glass, this employee had gotten a bad cut and later had to receive 5 stitches at the local emergency room. Jessie wondered what she was supposed to do with this information.

Also, Ashton had just sent her an email indicating that they should think about hiring more people. “What, now I have to do this as well?” thought Jessie.

Jessie was exhausted. “When the company first opened, I had fun working with Ashton, and it was rewarding to watch the sales expand. Now, I dread coming to work and am anxious every time I open my emails. I can’t take this anymore!” Jessie grabbed her phone and sent the following text to Ashton: “It is time that you took responsibility for this company and its problems. You are a horrible partner, and I’m sorry that we went into business together. In fact, it doesn’t make ‘scents’ to me anymore. So there!”

1. Working in the retail business has some particular health and safety concerns. What are Jessie and Ashton’s legal obligation on providing a safe work environment. Discuss the various potential safety issues that may arise in a retail environment and what can they do to ensure that their employees know safety is of the utmost important.