When melbourne restaurant-to-retail company Calia went into voluntary administration in June, its co-founder Jason Chang laid bare his struggles as a small business owner in an open post on social media.
Chang, who is also a City of Melbourne councillor, made the emotional revelation that he had “broken down in city council” while recounting the challenges of owning a business in Melbourne, and how the cost-of-living crisis had impacted so many families.
“I have now realised that as strong as I try to be, I am not immune from depression and anxiety,” he wrote.
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“As I broke down, I realised that I needed help to carry the emotional stress I faced.
“Please don’t be afraid to ask for help — we all need a shoulder to lean on sometimes.”
But while Chang’s words were met with sympathy from other corporate elites, they stung for former employee Ha Nguyen.
Nguyen claims to have lost thousands of dollars as the victim of wage theft while working at…
