Blue Moon Pet Services listed for sale owing thousands to employees

A doggie daycare has been listed for sale owing tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid superannuation.

Blue Moon Pet Services has been listed for sale by the owner as a result of the company owing tens of thousands of dollars in superannuation to its employees. Picture: Alison Wynd

 

Employees of a Moolap doggie daycare service have been left fuming after learning they are owed tens of thousands of dollars in superannuation.

Blue Moon Pet Services, a daycare service provider for dogs, opened in 2017 and is operated by Emma O’Dwyer.

Ms O’Dwyer has put the business up for sale in the hope she can pay back what the employees are owed.

Several employees have left the company in recent months after becoming increasingly frustrated over unpaid superannuation.

It is understood at least 10 former employees are affected.

One former worker described the workplace as “super toxic”, with employees regularly on the receiving end of verbal abuse from Ms O’Dwyer.

The former employee worked there for three years and claimed she is owed a significant sum.

“Towards the end I pretty much snapped,” she said.

“I was coming home from work having full mental breakdowns. I was terrified to go back to work.

“Every time I was there I felt really sad and angry, and I started to hate my job.

“I have had no contributions ever, not even one single superannuation payment”.

Blue Moon Pet Services has been listed for sale by the owner as a result of the company owing tens of thousands of dollars in superannuation to its employees. Picture: Cormac Hanrahan

The former employee said her emotions were a mix of anger and disappointment.

“It’s infuriating,” she said.

“It’s so disappointing to know that she as an employer isn’t paying these young girls correctly.”

Another former employee, who also worked there for three years, said she is owed just over $6000.

She also said the workplace was hostile in nature.

“I think everyone has slowly realised that and that is why everyone leaves I guess,” she said.

“Just the way it was run, it wasn’t really professional, just a lot of drama that wasn’t really needed at all.

“I feel let down because at the time, it was such a nice place to work.

“I realised she hadn’t done it (paid superannuation) for anyone else as well. She had actually not been paying us properly the whole time we worked there.

“Everyone is really mad about it, everyone just wants what they are owed.

“We wouldn’t have been there for so long if we didn’t know we would not get any super paid from it.

Blue Moon Pet Services has been listed for sale by the owner as a result of the company owing tens of thousands of dollars in superannuation to its employees. Picture: Alan Barber

“Looking back we all did work really hard, more than we definitely could have.

“We put a lot of effort into it, and it just felt like we were there, and then we were just let down by that in the end. When we left it was like we didn’t matter anymore.”

It’s understood current staff have not received any superannuation and that a number of employees have left the business in the past week as a result.

Ms O’Dywer claimed she was up to date with superannuation payments during Covid.

However, in documents seen by the Geelong Advertiser, the business owed superannuation to employees in late 2018 through to late 2019.

“Regrettably I am behind in my staff’s super payments,” she said.

“I was up to date during Covid but since then it has been hard to get on top of everything due to the cost of living et cetera, as so many businesses have gone through.

Blue Moon Pet Services has been listed for sale by the owner as a result of the company owing tens of thousands of dollars in superannuation to its employees. Picture: Alison Wynd

“I should have closed the business during Covid, but wanted to keep my staff still employed.

“I deeply regret not keeping up with the payments for my staff as they do an amazing job.”

Ms O’Dwyer said she has listed the business for sale.

“Hopefully someone will purchase it and I can pay everyone their super,” she said.

“I am deeply saddened to hear an ex-staff member say it was a toxic environment when all I have ever been is there to support the staff and to create a good work environment.

“I have bent over backwards helping staff financially and with personal issues wherever I could.

“Not being able to cover super has been truly upsetting and I have every intention of it being paid. “

She also said she understood why staff have left due to the lack of payment of superannuation, but said she still had “amazing staff who are dedicated to the dogs”.

“I put my heart and soul into looking after the present staff,” she said.

“I am truly sorry this has happened.”

Originally published as Blue Moon Pet Services listed for sale owing thousands to employees