State of affairs at Jenn’s worsens

The writing may be on the wall for Jenn’s Health and Beauty Supplies, Barbados TODAY investigations have revealed.

Barbados TODAY understands there were layoffs today, while some branches have been reportedly closed and the shelves at the stores still open were visibly barren.

Several employees from its branch in Sky Mall stayed away from work today, instead visiting the Labour Office to voice various grievances with their employer. Chief among several workers’ complaints is that they have not been paid for several months.

Some of the empty shelves at the Sky Mall branch.

A source close to the developments told Barbados TODAY things went from bad to worse this week when management revealed that some workers would be laid off for 13 weeks, beginning today.

Three employees from its Lower Broad Street store were reported to have been laid off today, while another three have been informed that tomorrow will be their last day, Barbados TODAY was told.

At least one worker from Jenn’s warehouse in Warrens, St Michael, is also expected to lose their job, a source said.

When contacted by Barbados TODAY  about the developments, general manager of Jenn’s at Lower Broad Street, Marcia Williams, declined to comment, while efforts to contact owner Edsil Phillips proved unsuccessful up to news time.

But the source said workers are worried they may not receive all of the money owed to them.

The source said that one of the primary reasons the employees visited the Labour Department was an effort to find out what actions could be taken to recoup those funds.

The company’s financial difficulties have left most of the shelves at its stores almost bare, the source added.

Barbados TODAY also learned that Jenn’s newly opened branch in The Walk, Welches, St Thomas, had already closed.

But workers at the Sky Mall and Bridgetown branches declined to comment on the developments when Barbados TODAY visited the stories.

The shelves, though, were visibly bare.