TV’s ‘Undercover Boss’ Uncovers Real Life Fairy Tales, Villains By Art Byrd

I am not the biggest fan of reality shows. I even stopped watching “American Idol.” There is too much reality for me on the shows.

But there is one reality show that recently caught my interest, called “Undercover Boss.” The basic concept is that a CEO disguises himself and changes his name to work various jobs within his company.

The series is part fairy tale as each episode has the happy employee with a heart of gold, the employee who has a heart-gripping story, and of course, the villain, usually a company manager who makes the employees do something that is not company policy.

The first show follows Waste Management president and COO Larry O’Donnell, who goes underground with day-old face stubble. No one knows who he is except some of the managers of the facilities he goes to. As you’d expect, they are sworn to secrecy.

O’Donnell goes to different company facilities. He meets a man who is very happy going around cleaning port-a-potties. The COO gets a sense of what a great attitude can do for the company.  He meets a woman who is doing multiple jobs at once due to company cutbacks and doing them well, as she tries to keep a roof over the heads of herself, her husband, a daughter, a father, a sister and the sister’s husband. O’Donnell finds this out by being invited to dinner by the woman, who is just being nice.

Then there is a manager who docks time from employees if they are a minute or more over for lunch. O’ Donnell meets more employees, such as a female truck driver who has issues with the company’s treatment of women, and a man who has health issues but is still working like gangbusters.

There is the hotel room camera were the COO talks to about his experiences and the changes he plans to make as a result.

“Undercover Boss” has its big moment when the CEOs/COOs are revealed to employees. There is shock and relief that they aren’t fired for things they said about the company.

Then, the big wig adopts a “Glenda the Good Witch” role as he explains to employees how he’s going to help them and make the company a better place to work. 


Even the villain manager is given a chance to redeem himself.

For “Undercover Boss,” the shows usually wraps up in to a nice feel good package. My advice to big company employees: take a closer look at your CEO’s picture in the company handbook and Christmas card.

edited by Michele Ristich Gatts