After months of uncertainty, Avon employees in France received the hard news that operations would be closing by the end of the month. Avon currently employees 120 staff in Paris that help supply 11,000 representatives. There has been a considerable amount of backlash surrounding the procedures and ethics regarding the notification of their employees and representatives. Many believe the company kept them in the dark and uninformed over the course of the last few months, breaking their own procedures. Estelle Croissant, a currently employee, states, “They have not respected all the processes according to their own rules and values.”  The employees recognize the slowing of profits in France has put the company in a difficult situation financially, but courteous and ethical treatment of employees is an absolutely when shutting down operations, especially for a company like Avon.

Avon is a company that sells almost all its products through self employed representatives. The accusations of mistreatment from their employees in France could lead to a lack of trust with other employees and representatives world wide, many of whom they are entirely reliant on for profit. The company needs the self employed representatives more than they need Avon. There are many suitable brand alternatives for representatives to sell, such as Bare Minerals. Avon, on the other hand, would have to change their entire market strategy, operations and marketing approach if they lost enough of their representatives to competitors.

This ethical and operational blemish on Avon could skew not only employees but consumer views of the company as whole.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24522756

http://www.malaysiasun.com/index.php/sid/217726577/scat/hfu8sjsy4hjfjdha/pp/2