Management

Leading U.K. supermarket chain Tesco has strongly defended its association with a government-led employment scheme following public criticism of one of its job advertisements. A permanent position of a night-shift worker at one of Tesco's stores was posted earlier this month with a salary listed as "the job seekers allowance and expenses."

Amid declining sales, rising commodity costs and a U.S. grand jury investigation into whether ex-employees in China paid bribes to officials in violation of U.S. anti-corruption laws, cosmetics giant Avon Products' CEO Andrea Jung said the company doesn't expect its margins to improve this year.

Courtesy of Harvard Business Review, here's a video featuring Robert Chavez, CEO of Hermès US, talking about why employee engagement and an online/digital presence are key to driving his business and brand objectives.

Lowe's is offering buyouts to corporate staff as the retailer slows store openings, cuts costs and focuses on the digital aspects of its business. The buyout offer, known as a "voluntary separation program," applies to corporate staff members at the company's offices in Mooresville and Wilkesboro, N.C.

Turnaround CEO Neil Fiske, who took over Bellevue-based Eddie Bauer in 2007 and led it through a bankruptcy court auction in 2009, will soon leave the top post, according to a company statement. No reason was given for his departure.

Liz Claiborne Inc. announced the appointment of David Bassuk as co-president and chief operating officer of Juicy Couture, effective Feb. 27. In this role, Bassuk will oversee finance, operations, planning and allocation, international, e-commerce, wholesale sales, and operations and facilities while partnering with co-president and chief creative officer LeAnn Nealz on the management and overall leadership of the Juicy Couture brand. Both Bassuk and Nealz will report to William L. McComb, CEO of Liz Claiborne Inc.

The Container Store, the storage and organization products retailer, today honors its 5,000 employees across the country by celebrating its third annual "National We Love Our Employees Day." Company executives unveiled a 58,800 square foot "love note" on the roof of its company headquarters that it's submitting for review to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Wal-Mart, Office Depot and Macy’s were the only three retailers listed among the National Association for Female Executives’ (NAFE) list of the Top 50 Companies for Executive Women. According to NAFE, women represent 53 percent of the employees at these companies, on average. Women make up 23 percent of the board of directors at the NAFE Top 50 vs. 16 percent of the boards of companies in the Fortune 500. In addition, women comprise 22 percent of the executive level at companies in the NAFE Top 50 vs. 14 percent across Fortune 500 companies.

J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson is dealing with his first media controversy. Johnson, flashing an incredibly charming smile, appeared on CBS to defend spokesperson Ellen DeGeneres. He said that DeGeneres was the perfect pick to represent the new direction of the company because of her positive, outgoing attitude.

Ralph Lauren's president said the company and J.C. Penney have decided to drop the exclusive American Living line of home, apparel and accessories goods, which, when it launched at J.C. Penney in 2008, marked the retailer's single largest brand introduction in history.