The primary issue within this company is the conduct of the president. There is a consistent pattern of dishonesty, manipulation, and retaliation that directly impacts store leadership and staff. On multiple occasions, the president has denied involvement in or knowledge of interactions that she was directly part of, despite documentation such as emails and messages confirming otherwise. This has occurred too frequently to be attributed to miscommunication or memory lapses and consistently arises in situations involving accountability. Managers are frequently given direction or instruction, only to have those same conversations denied later. This creates an environment where accountability is impossible and trust is nonexistent.
When these inconsistencies are raised, the response is often dismissive or results in retaliation. This has contributed to a culture of fear where managers feel they cannot safely question decisions or advocate for their teams.
Leadership turnover reflects this instability. I was the fifth manager in my location in approximately three years, and there has been ongoing turnover across store, district, and regional leadership—particularly in the Toronto market. There is a clear pattern of experienced leaders leaving after short tenures.
Operationally, the president is highly involved at the store level in ways that are disruptive rather than supportive. Processes are changed abruptly, expectations shift without warning, and managers are required to alter core business practices on short notice. This creates confusion for teams and undermines consistency in both operations and client experience.
There is no functional HR support. The HR representative is the owner’s husband, and there is no direct or confidential way for staff to contact him. Communication must go through the same leadership individuals that concerns may be about, effectively eliminating any safe or independent reporting channel. This creates a risky and unprotected environment for employees.
Employee well-being is not prioritized. Breaks are frequently missed, expectations are unrealistic (especially in light of significant product price increases), and performance targets are often based on sales metrics that are communicated as having been previously achieved but are not supported by actual reporting. When managers attempt to verify these claims through available data, they are met with immediate pushback or retaliation for challenging the narrative. This further reinforces a culture where questioning leadership is discouraged and transparency is lacking.
Overall, this is an unstable and, at times, toxic work environment where leadership practices erode trust and make it difficult to succeed or feel supported.
