Office staff say Surrey-based cleaning company Scrubbi has shut down
When Scrubbi operations clerk Harley Thompson got a text Tuesday morning saying the Surrey-based house cleaning company was shutting down, he wasn’t surprised.
“If you have issues with not being able to pay people to do the work for your company, it’s not a shock to me at all that it fell apart,” Thompson said.
For months, CTV News has been reporting on Scrubbi cleaning contractors who aren’t getting paid for work already done, issues the company’s owner blamed on a new payment system and problems at the bank.
“This has been going on for a while, and it was super stressful to have to try to help these people, because there wasn’t anything we could really do about it," said Thompson, who began working as a scheduler and liaison between the independent cleaners and head office last November.
"It was all the time, there were angry people who, rightfully so, were talking about how they weren’t getting paid. And it was tough because no one in my team could do anything about it.”
When he returned to headquarters to pick up his things after learning the company had folded on Tuesday, Thomson says he spoke to company CEO Daniel Deckert.
“He pulled me into the boardroom and gave me the talk, and said basically we are just shutting down business operations. It’s been 10 years but there is not a lot they could do to sustain business,” said Thompson.
While he’s out of a job, he says he’s more concerned about the cleaners who are still owed money.
“I don’t know if they’re going to get an apology from the company, but I would love to apologize to the cleaners. They put in so much hard work,” said Thompson. “I want them to know that the people in the office who they were talking to did genuinely care, and we did really try to make sure everything worked, but the pay stuff was out of our control.”
Former contractors aren’t the only ones who will be left chasing their money from Scrubbi, which had B.C. operations in Metro Vancouver, Victoria and the Interior.
“There are people that have weekly appointments pre-paid for a whole year ahead of time, and I don’t know what going to happen for them,” said Thompson. “It looks like the company doesn’t have any money to make them whole this point.”
CTV News wanted to ask Deckert how he will make contractors and clients whole, and why the Scrubbi website still appears to be accepting new bookings. He did not reply to an email, and the company’s toll free number went to voicemail.
“From the sounds of it, the money issues have been going on for a while,” said Thompson. “I would be surprised if everybody that is owed money is paid.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP wants Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
Doug Ford suggests immigrants behind Jewish school shooting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested immigrants are to blame for the shooting of an empty Jewish school in Toronto over the weekend, despite police saying they have little information on the suspects.
Melanie Joly 'forward-leaning' in debate on Ukraine using NATO arms inside Russia
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is suggesting Canada would support a policy of allowing Ukraine to use NATO-provided arms inside Russia.
Fast-paced, highflying SailGP blows into Halifax for weekend competition
Ten countries, including Canada, each with teams of six sailors, are battling head-to-head on Halifax Harbour this weekend for the Canadian debut of SailGP (Grand Prix).
Donald Trump can sue niece over NY Times article, court rules
A New York state appeals court said Donald Trump can sue his niece Mary Trump for giving the New York Times information for its Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 probe into his finances and his alleged effort to avoid taxes.
Shania Twain shares how she forgave her ex-husband's cheating: 'It's his mistake'
Shania Twain recently addressed the infidelity that rocked her marriage to Robert 'Mutt' Lange, whom she divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.
A pair enjoyed pricey meals and bolted when it was time to pay. Their dine and dash ended in jail
A Welsh couple who dined out on pricey meals and bolted when the bill came is now paying the price, behind bars.
Supreme Court won't hear appeal in Montreal brainwashing experiments case
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a Quebec ruling that bars people from suing the U.S. government in Canada over its role in notorious brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.