Fired employees file whistleblower complaints: Doggie daycare pays $50K in damages

In Idaho, a doggie daycare facility and its former owner will pay $50,000 in general and punitive damages to resolve two former employees’ whistleblower complaints, the DOL announced in a press release.  

Two employees filed whistleblower complaints with OSHA, alleging they were fired from House of Hounds after they expressed concerns to former owner Kayla Martin about working alongside a co-worker who was awaiting COVID-19 test results.  

OSHA investigates whistleblower complaints  

According to OSHA investigators, after the employees raised their concerns, Martin told them to finish what they were doing, clock out and go home. The two workers were then removed from the employer’s social media platform and were not included on the weekly schedule. OSHA said this amounted to termination.

OSHA also learned that a third employee was treated in the same manner, but that person did not file a whistleblower complaint.  

Moreover, when the workers filed for unemployment insurance, House of Hounds challenged the benefits claims on the basis that the two employees “had quit.”  

After determining the employer violated federal whistleblower regulations, OSHA sued on behalf of the employees, alleging they faced discrimination and retaliation for exercising their legal right to speak up about workplace safety.  

At some point during the investigation and litigation, Martin sold House of Hounds.  

The parties reached an agreement to resolve the dispute. Under the consent judgment, House of Hounds and Martin must:

• pay $25,000 in general and punitive damages to each of the two employees
• issue a verbatim public apology to the two employees from her personal Facebook account
• provide OSHA-approved training to supervisors and managers, and
• post a notice about employees’ rights under federal whistleblower protections.

Su v. House of Hounds, LLC, No. 1:21-CV-208-BLW (D. Idaho 10/2/23).