Local Bakery Owners Shut Down Amid Allegations of Employee Exploitation and Lack of Transparency
In what appears to be a dramatic collapse, Essen Bakery has permanently closed its two locations in South Philadelphia and Norris Square, following a monthslong pause that left employees in the dark. The bakery's co-owner, Tova du Plessis, has stated that she and her husband Brad had chosen to shut down their business despite efforts to relaunch it.
However, sources close to the former employees claim that they were kept in the dark about the permanent closure, with many only finding out through a report by PhillyVoice. Workers who attempted to communicate with their bosses through social media platforms noticed that their comments were being deleted and they were subsequently blocked from interacting with the owners.
"It made me feel mistreated and it made me feel like my story, what we went through, wasn't going to be told," said Maranda Leecan, a former Essen Bakery employee who posted about her experience on TikTok. Leecan is not alone in expressing frustration with the way they were treated by their employers.
Former front-of-house worker Ginny Payne described the silence that followed after the initial closure announcement, stating that she only received confirmation of the permanent closure when PhillyVoice reached out for comment. "I think finally getting the confirmation that the place is closing is a load off of my mind, knowing that officially that chapter is over," she said.
The allegations against Essen Bakery suggest a culture of exploitation and lack of transparency, with some former employees claiming that they were not offered unemployment benefits until one of them asked, only to be informed that they did not qualify for assistance. The experience has left many in the community feeling mistreated and frustrated.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fair labor practices and transparency in business operations. As Essen Bakery's co-owner Tova du Plessis admitted to addressing their mental health struggles, it appears that this was an attempt to justify their actions, leaving former employees feeling insulted and unheard.
In what appears to be a dramatic collapse, Essen Bakery has permanently closed its two locations in South Philadelphia and Norris Square, following a monthslong pause that left employees in the dark. The bakery's co-owner, Tova du Plessis, has stated that she and her husband Brad had chosen to shut down their business despite efforts to relaunch it.
However, sources close to the former employees claim that they were kept in the dark about the permanent closure, with many only finding out through a report by PhillyVoice. Workers who attempted to communicate with their bosses through social media platforms noticed that their comments were being deleted and they were subsequently blocked from interacting with the owners.
"It made me feel mistreated and it made me feel like my story, what we went through, wasn't going to be told," said Maranda Leecan, a former Essen Bakery employee who posted about her experience on TikTok. Leecan is not alone in expressing frustration with the way they were treated by their employers.
Former front-of-house worker Ginny Payne described the silence that followed after the initial closure announcement, stating that she only received confirmation of the permanent closure when PhillyVoice reached out for comment. "I think finally getting the confirmation that the place is closing is a load off of my mind, knowing that officially that chapter is over," she said.
The allegations against Essen Bakery suggest a culture of exploitation and lack of transparency, with some former employees claiming that they were not offered unemployment benefits until one of them asked, only to be informed that they did not qualify for assistance. The experience has left many in the community feeling mistreated and frustrated.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fair labor practices and transparency in business operations. As Essen Bakery's co-owner Tova du Plessis admitted to addressing their mental health struggles, it appears that this was an attempt to justify their actions, leaving former employees feeling insulted and unheard.
so sad to hear about Essen Bakery closing down, feels like a whole lotta people got screwed over 
especially when they were treated like dirt and not even kept in the loop 
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. gotta wonder how many ppl would've stuck around if they knew what was goin on behind the scenes 
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they literally shut down on the employees without even giving them notice 
i mean come on who does that? 
they're not exactly winning any points with me now all these allegations of exploitation and lack of transparency are wild 
they should've at least had the decency to communicate with their former employees in a respectful manner 
it's like they just wanted to sweep everything under the rug 
. I can imagine how frustrating it must be to not know what's going on with your job until someone else tells you. It's like when we don't get feedback from our teachers on our assignments, it makes us feel really unsure if we're doing something right. The fact that they were blocked from talking to their bosses online is just crazy 
i mean what kinda business does that? they gotta treat their workers right, fair pay, good work envirnment n all dat. its not like they r tryna help ppl w/ mental health issues or anythin. its just an excuse 4 them 2 look bad & avoid accountability 
i feel bad 4 the employees who had to go thru dis, its so unfair 
. like what's next? shutting down a social media account that posts a pic of your croissants with a caption saying "these aren't made by human hands, but by our exploitative overlords"? 
anyway, it's super sad that ppl had to go through this and it just shows how important it is for businesses to be transparent and treat their employees right 
. maybe next time, they can try using customer service skills instead of, you know, deleting people's tweets 
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. I feel for Maranda Leecan & Ginny Payne, they must've been going through a lot of emotional distress 
. This whole thing is a huge red flag for fair labor practices 
I mean, who does that? It's like, we get it, mistakes happen, but at least have the decency to address them in a way that shows some respect for your employees 
The fact that they kept their employees in the dark about the closure, deleting their comments and blocking them from interacting with the owners, speaks volumes about the lack of respect and transparency in their business dealings.
The incident highlights the need for stricter labor laws and regulations to protect workers' rights and ensure fair treatment in the workplace.
It's time for greater transparency and accountability in business practices, so that individuals like Maranda Leecan and Ginny Payne can feel heard and supported. 
. And then being told they didn't qualify for unemployment benefits? That's just basic human decency missing 
. It's great that Maranda and Ginny are speaking out about their experiences, maybe it'll help others who might be going through something similar 
. We should all be looking out for each other in the workplace 
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how can u just do that to ppl who are counting on u for a living? 
. And to make excuses about mental health struggles? Sorry, Tova, that's not gonna fly 
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that's not okay at all. i think this case highlights how some businesses don't care about treating their employees right and will do whatever it takes to get away with it 
. I'm so sorry to hear that these people went through this, it's absolutely appalling. I hope justice is served and whoever is responsible gets held accountable 
. These bakeries were supposed to be a part of the community, but now they're just a symbol of how not to treat employees.
. The lack of transparency is wild too - if they didn't wanna relaunch the business, why keep employees in the dark for so long? It's just plain basic human decency