Undercover Boss Canada: Lush Cosmetics

Introduction

• Lush Cosmetics, a soap and cosmetics giant, is undergoing aggressive expansion.
• CEO Mark Wolverton cannot go undercover due to frequent interactions with staff.
• Brandi Halls, the Director of Brand Communications, goes undercover instead.

Brandi's Undercover Mission

• Brandi transforms her appearance to go undercover as "Catherine Maines," a new trainee.
• Her goals are to observe the challenges staff face and make changes to support expansion.

Day 1: Shop Floor Experience

• Brandi works in one of Canada's busiest stores.
• She learns the importance of customer service and in-store experience.
• Observations:
  • TIL systems not accepting all bank cards, needs investigation.
  • Uniform policy feels restrictive to employees.
• Interacts with Sina, a passionate employee who faced personal challenges as a gay teenager.

Day 2: Bubble Bar Room

• Brandi visits the bubble bar room in the factory.
• Observes the physically demanding nature of production work.
• Faces a shortage of raw materials affecting production schedules.
• Interacts with Farrell, a dedicated worker with a hearing impairment.
• Company to provide Farrell with a new hearing aid.

Day 3: Soap Factory

• Works with Quang, a master compounder, in the soap factory.
• Learns the precision required in production and the importance of ingredient consistency.
• Quang shares his harrowing escape from Vietnam, reflecting resilience and positivity.

Day 4: Halifax Store

• Visits a store in Halifax to check for communication breakdown and product availability.
• Observes issues with product shortages on the shelves.
• Interacts with Jen, a knowledgeable manager with aspirations to move to New York.

Key Observations & Issues

• Ingredient shortages affecting production consistency and product availability.
• IT issues with registers not accepting certain payment methods.
• Uniform policy could be perceived as restrictive.

Outcomes

• Brandi reports back to the senior management team with her findings.
• Plans to address ingredient supply chain, IT register issues, and investigate uniform flexibility.
• Initiatives to support and reward employees:
  • Farrell receives a new hearing aid.
  • Sina to lead an anti-bullying campaign and visit Guatemala for a charity project.
  • Quang and his wife to attend a cooking school of their choice.
  • Jen to work in New York with the PR team and receive additional vacation time.

Conclusion

• The undercover experience provided invaluable insights into frontline operations and employee welfare.
• Changes and rewards are intended to improve work-life balance, address business challenges, and foster a stronger company culture.