Animal hospital employees outraged after abrupt firings
Former employees at the Animal Hospital of Desert Hot Springs are up in arms after they were abruptly fire and told that the facility would be closing.
The firings and possibly impending closure come just several months after a group of employees claimed that a supervisor at the non-profit animal hospital was retaliating against them for filing a formal harassment complaint relating to alleged instance of labor law violations and the maintenance of a hostile work environment.
Monday morning, the now-former employees attempted to start their workday as they always did, by going through the employee entrance.
Employees at a non-profit animal hospital say they’re being retaliated against by a supervisor
“There were some security type officers out front demanding that we all enter through the front door not the employee entrance and we were all told that we did not have jobs today,” said Nicole Shea, a former receptionist at the animal hospital.
Employees say that the closure and terminations were handled poorly.
Board member speaks out about pending investigation into Humane Society of the Desert president
“We were given no notice that we were gonna come to work today and have no job we were being chased around by security like we’re criminals,” said Kimberly Raney, a veterinary technician.
Representatives from the animal hospital initially declined to comment when News Channel 3 reached out, then issued the following statement:
“The Board of Directors of the Humane Society of the Desert, Inc. announced that its Animal Hospital located in Desert Hot Springs, California, will close effective December 10, 2018, through the Holidays. It is anticipated that the Hospital will reopen in early 2019. During the Holiday closure, the Hospital will undergo some equipment upgrades and a refresh. Current customers who need any information during the closure are asked to leave a message on the Hospital line (760-251-1400) and calls will be returned at the earliest opportunity.
The Humane Society of the Desert operates an animal shelter located on N Indian Canyon in Palm Springs, California. Except for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the Shelter is open from 10 am to 3pm Tuesdays through Saturdays.”
But employees find the statement suspicious, since they say they were offered severance packages in exchange for silence. They say they were asked to sign a “severance and release agreement” intended to prevent them from speaking out.
Former employees have organized a petition to demand a full investigation into the Humane Society of the Desert. You can find it here.
Watch Madison Weil’s full story at 5PM on News Channel 3.
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