Undercover Boss (CA)

The executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Terry Davis has been with Home Hardware for 42 years. Now he’s returning to his roots working in the warehouse and making his own improvements. But will the disguised worker walk off the job after a sweaty shift of hauling drywall?

Undercover Boss Canada takes a look at what really goes into creating the nation’s favourite pastime – Hockey. Canlan Ice Sports Corp is the largest private sector owner/operator of ice sports & entertainment facilities in North America and believes its role is to nurture future NHL stars. CEO Joey St-Aubin admits their prices are higher than local municipal rinks, but believes his company offers a premium service and better ice quality. In an effort to win back cost-conscious customers, he adopts a brand new identity, allowing him to secretly survey his rinks, bars and restaurants and find out how they’re really performing. Ice Queen Ramona coldly tells him to quit complaining when he struggles to get the rinks ready for play-off, and there’s so much dog poop to pick up at one facility, there’s no time for lunch. In the end, what he discovers leads to real frontline changes that make life easier for staff and also go down well with customers.

Chocolates are a sinful indulgence, but while Kriston Dean has the nation’s most delicious job, hitting sales targets is a tough nut to crack. Purdy’s dominates the west, but is struggling to make an impression elsewhere. To boost sales, the Chocolate Queen travels the country, working in disguise in her own stores and factory floors. But Kriston is nearly busted by a suspicious staffer, and it’s not long before she has a chocolate meltdown and brings an entire assembly line to a gooey halt. When her fake tattoo is wiped off and wig whipped away at the end of the week, she meets the people she worked with again. Her true identity is revealed, and they discover she’s a boss with a soft center. Devoted worker Kathy, who juggles hectic factory floor shifts while looking after a sick husband and raising a grandson, is full of teary-eyed appreciation when Kriston decides it’s time to make her life easier.

This episode nets an exclusive “behind-the-scenes” look at what it really takes to get fish on our dinner plates. Cooke Aquaculture is the Canadian leader in salmon farming, but they operate within an aggressive global market, and have to maintain production to safeguard jobs in Atlantic Canada. In some communities, they are responsible for one out of every two pay cheques. CEO Glenn Cooke gets a fresh head of hair and a new identity, so he can join his own workers on the frontline. As he struggles through the work week, he causes chaos at his fish processing plant and creates costly delays. All is forgiven, though, when he gets a chance to make good and reveal his true identity at the end of it all. He summons the workers he met to the company’s remote retreat, The Big Hole Fishing Lodge. Mom Elvie, who lost her husband after a long illness, is in tears when family man Glenn makes her vacation dream come true, and hatchery technician Jean gets the surprise of her life when he announces plans to reunite her 15 brothers and sisters for a long-awaited get-together.

The Healthcare system is at breaking point, as baby boomers age and put increasing demand on services. The Victorian Order of Nurses takes the pressure off hospitals by providing care for people in their own homes. It was once a unique service, but now hundreds of rival companies compete for cash and customers. Judith Shamian says unless she takes drastic action, the Canadian institution she runs will be consigned to the history books. However, her decision to work in disguise so she can see for herself the pressure nurses are under in life and death situations is riddled with risk. Just hours into her first day on the job, an unexpected encounter throws her undercover operation into chaos. At the end of the week, an exhausted Judith resumes her role as CEO, and rewards the workers who showed such kindness and dedication. A couple with a heart-breaking story gets an emotional double surprise. Their reward will benefit an entire community.

Tervita specializes in environmental clean-up for Western Canada’s booming energy and mining industries. The company has ambitious growth plans to attract workers. It doesn’t take long for Fory Musser, VP of Strategy, to discover why when he quits his cushy office for a work week on the frontline – his company specializes in doing some of the nation’s dirtiest, smelliest jobs. He joins Julie, who sorts through tons of dangerous, nasty waste every day, and Etta, a former social worker who used to repair families but gets more job satisfaction destroying things, as Tervita’s top car crusher. When Fory’s undercover assignment is up, he returns to HQ and summons the five workers he met to a meeting, where he dishes out some of the season’s biggest rewards.

Moving is officially the second most stressful event we go through in life – trumped only by the death of a loved one. Established, professional moving companies are being squeezed by low-cost rivals and unregulated fly-by-nights. “They give the industry a bad name,” says Kirsten Flynn, the boss of Premiere Van Lines. She’s a woman with a formidable reputation. Her own staff call her “Frugal Flynn” because she watches the pennies to protect profits. But will she loosen the purse strings after traveling the country and seeing firsthand how her own staff are missing basic tools? It’s doesn’t take long before the disguised boss is overwhelmed and literally can’t deliver the goods. A storage worker breaks down when he reveals how, years ago, a horrific accident cut short his career at the wheel.

Canadians spend nearly $9 billion dollars a year on their pets – that’s more than we spend on kids’ toys, designer shoes and dental plans! PJ’s Pets/Pets Unlimited is one of the nation’s oldest and respected pet store chains, but the company has a new President in place, and she’s prepared to rattle a few cages. Margaret Kordas steps out of her high heels and spends a week working in her own stores. Throughout her journey, she comes to appreciate the level of knowledge and competence the retail staff displays. While in disguise she also discovers a few costly inefficiencies and wasted opportunities – and confronts a personal fear of spiders! At the end of the week, she slips back into her designer suit and heels to reunite with the passionate people she worked with. Her true identity is revealed and those workers are rewarded for their hard work and honesty.

For nearly 20 years, T&T Supermarket Inc dominated sales, but now, the competition is heating up with more and more companies fighting it out for the dollars consumers are spending on ethnic food. Executive Director, Strategy & Operations Tina Lee goes undercover, struggling to bake Asian delicacies and wrestling with live seafood, in order to secretly search for ways to attract more customers to Canada's largest Asian supermarket chain. While working undercover, the first time mom-to-be discovers her employees offer food for thought and a fresh perspective.

John Rothschild is the CEO of Prime Restaurants Inc., which has over 140 casual dining restaurants in Canada and the U.S., including East Side Mario's. He goes undercover in the restaurant in a bid to check the front lines of the business. With the explosion of family dining restaurants, East Side Mario’s is fighting for customers and Rothschild is worried that his brand is starting to look dated. But his own staff and customers have surprising solutions to reviving business, and when he reunites with the people he worked alongside, he makes a big difference to both their personal and work lives.