8-3-20 Paws Up Complaint Report

General ComplainComplaintComplaint TReceived By Assigned To Status Establishment Name
7-Apr-2020 2020-0407 COVID-19 Kirstin A Golga Emily Andrea Closed PAWS UP, THE RESORT
30-Jun-2020 2020-0630 COVID-19 Kirstin A Golga Emily Andrea Closed PAWS UP, THE RESORT
8-Jul-2020 2020-0708 COVID-19 April Thorson Emily Andrea Closed PAWS UP, THE RESORT
16-Jul-2020 2020-0716 COVID-19 Kirstin A Golga Emily Andrea Closed PAWS UP, THE RESORT
20-Jul-2020 2020-0720 COVID-19 April Thorson Shannon L Ther

Closed PAWS UP, THE RESORT

20-Jul-2020 2020-0720 COVID-19 Kirstin A Golga Shannon L Ther

Open PAWS UP, THE RESORT AT




Open PAWS UP, THE RESORT


Open PAWS UP, THE RESORT

27-Jul-2020 2020-0727 COVID-19 April Thorson Emily Andrea Open PAWS UP, THE RESORT
29-Jul-2020 2020-0729 COVID-19 Kirstin A Golga Emily Andrea Open PAWS UP, THE RESORT
3-Aug-2020 2020-0803 COVID-19 April Thorson Emily Andrea Closed PAWS UP, THE RESORT
Completion Date
8-Apr-2020
1-Jul-2020
8-Jul-2020
17-Jul-2020
17-Jul-2020
17-Jul-2020
20-Jul-2020
20-Jul-2020
20-Jul-2020
20-Jul-2020
20-Jul-2020
E RESORT AT
E RESORT AT
E RESORT AT
E RESORT AT
23-Jul-2020
E RESORT AT
E RESORT AT
31-Jul-2020
23-Jul-2020
31-Jul-2020
31-Jul-2020
31-Jul-2020
31-Jul-2020
3-Aug-2020
Nature of Complaint
Resort is having out-of-state guest coming in, not quarantining them. Rather, they are having the staff guides
who live in the Montana community come in for their regular duties including fishing, shooting range, ATV rides,
go-carts, rappelling, and other activities. Complainant concerned about the guides going back into the
community after being around the out-of-state guests.
Band was hired to play gig with stipulations that they were to play outside with social distancing in place. Since
it was raining, they had to play inside. Afterwards 2 band members went to the bar where staff mentioned that
5 workers at Paws Up had tested positive. It was also mentioned that management would prefer staff not wear
masks in order not to scare or remind guests of pandemic. Staff feels that Paws Up will be the site of the next
large COVID outbreak. PLEASE CALL complainant.
Complainant says people there have tested positive, and the management is not telling employees when
someone tests positive, they are not taking this serious, no masks and no sanitizing.
In the glamping dept, there is an outdoor pavilion that can be closed to become an indoor space. In both
cases, they aren't following social distancing during meals in the pavilion because the tables are not 6 feet
apart. When transporting guests, they are taking more than one family at a time in one vehicle. Employees are
wearing masks, but not all of the guests are wearing masks. Staff is not enforcing the mask requirement with
guests, leaving it up to them and their comfort level.
Employees are required to wear masks but guests are not. Staff have been told they are not allowed to police
the guests who are not wearing masks.
Paws up is not protecting employees, guests are not wearing masks, an employee tested positive and the
people working with that person are not quarantining. Guests have requested that employees not wear masks.
from email - The REDACTED department at Paws Up currently has four people on the staff in the REDACTED
who have COVID-19, and they are still allowing guests inside the restaurant. There are dinner events everyday
with 100-150 guests without masks gathering. Many people on the staff have shared complaints and there are
those who are also feeling symptoms of COVID-19. The managers still are making sure those who do not have
it come in for work even when complaints and concerns are voiced.
REDACTED department had 4 positive cases. Positive cases not working, but have come in contact with
guests and co-workers. Holding dinner events with 100-150 guests without masks. Staff are wearing masks
but guests are not being required to. Staff voiced concerns to managers but management is ignoring them.
I heard a co-worker tested positive.

Staff members are worried about people testing positive, but nobody is aying anything or doing anything about
it as rumors grow. REDACTED who works there has now been exposed. Have not been wearing masks; not
been social distancing.
Complainant has a son -in -law who works at paws up and he told her that management is making people go
back to work before their Covid test results are back.
Gathering of 200 out-of-town guests with no masks required.
Employee says there are 6 cases of Covid 19 in the REDACTED area, and employees are that had close
contact with the positive employees are being told to still come to work. Positive employees are not at work.
Guests are not wearing masks.
5 confirmed cases of COVID in staff of REDACTED. No staff have been alerting the guests or acknowledging it
is a problem. No social distancing measures, no sanitation or extra measures being taken except that now they
are wearing masks, though masks are being worn under their nose. Mgmt says that the workplace is
completely safe and that anyone who contracts COVID is getting it from outside the business.
Complainant is an employee, and says 4 people so far have tested positive and management is not telling
guests, guests are not having to wear masks and management is asking employees personal questions about
their lives, what they are doing, who they are telling things to.
Complainant is a property rental management person and was trying to inspect a house they manage and the
people renting it said they work at Paws Up and have tested positive for COVID, so she didn't go into the
house, but wanted us to know that employees are testing positive.
Had a couple of positive cases. Disturbing how mgmt is handling the situation. Not telling the whole staff,
telling staff who disclose the positive cases of "stirring the pot" and trying to keep everything on the down low.
Discouraging of staff taking sick time.
No employee or guest is required to wear masks, the transportation department got shut down because of 4
covid cases, and they aren't telling us who tested positive, and guests are not being told that there are positive
cases.
Management would not let a staff member who was symptomatic leave early. Manager who did let her leave
early got in trouble. Staff member works in the restaurant. Another staff member lives with the symptomatic
one and management is still expecting him to come to work. Asking employees to work double shifts to cover
the employees who are out with COVID.
Grandmother from REDACTED called to say her granddaughter who works at Paw Up tested positive, and a lot
of the kids who work there have tested positive.
from email - I currently work for The Resort at Paws Up. There has been rumor around from many other
employees in different departments that a variety of employees are testing positive for Covid-19. Nothing has
been said about this by any manager or higher levels of employment. As an employee I’m worried about my
safety as I continue to work in the same environment as others who have contracted the disease or come in
contact with someone. I’ve been told (again by other employees) the higher level management is refraining
from telling the general laborers anything to ensure we continue working instead of self quarantining ourselves.
We are extremely understaffed, so I believe it to be true after hearing a young lady’s roommate tested positive,
her manager still had her work her shift before getting tested; only to later on test positive herself. Employees
here do as we’re told in fear of being reprimanded or fired. Outside of my concern for the safety of my
coworkers and myself, I’ve noticed a few specific governor’s/ health officer’s orders that are not being followed
in the workplace. There are no postings anywhere stating the requirement of wearing a mask. Seeing as this is
a resort housing guests from all over country, guests aren’t being informed of the Montana COVID guidelines.
They insist on us employees wearing masks, but not guests. Also, employee bathrooms in our main building
(The Outpost) are never cleaned and we are not allowed to use the guest bathrooms to make up for this. There
is one employee bathroom in the basement and single men and women’s employee bathrooms on the main
building level. The floors are covered in mud, they often run empty on soaps or paper towels for weeks at a
time, and no hand sanitizer is available in the restrooms at all. The only other bathrooms are a 5 minute drive
away in a different building where we all gather for lunch.
I sincerely appreciate anything you can do to help and thank you for your time. I’m choosing to stay anonymous
so I cannot be fired for speaking out against them. If there are any other questions I can answer please feel
free to reach me via this email address.
Paws Up is not a safe work environment, especially during a pandemic state. Below I will explain the many
reasons why I do not feel safe working there. Paws Up is a lodging company that comprises of many out-of-
state clientele. I am an activities guide at the resort and the precautions taken to prevent exposure are not at all
there. In my day-to-day life as a guide, I take guests on guided trips in and around the resort. To get to these
places, we are required to transport guests in one of our activity-designated vans. These vans are not
sanitized. These guests are not mandated to wear masks -- in fact, many of my guests have scolded me or
belittled me for wearing mine. None of the equipment that we use is sanitized, and none of the employee space
is sanitized either. Behind closed doors, none of my coworkers wear masks; even when standing within six feet
of one another. We are required to wear masks when in close proximity of guests, however, many of our trips
are not supervised so many of my coworkers remove their masks when out of our boss' sight. Paws Up
employees are kindly provided with lunch through the resort -- none of the food and beverage workers wear
their masks, tables are not wiped down after someone has finished their meal, and everyone is within six feet of
one another. The soda machine is rarely sanitized. Upon my return as a guide this year, I brought up my
concerns with my boss to ensure that I would be working in a safe environment. He informed me that heavy
precautions were being implemented and that if I had any following concerns that I should bring them up with
him; so I did. A coworker of mine had been bragging about hanging out with someone who has been contacted
by the CDC and directed to self-isolate. I asked her why she was still working around us and with other guests,
and she laughed in my face. I went to my boss and explained to him the words that came from this person's
mouth, as well as my other concerns around guest and employee safety during a pandemic. He told me that my
concerns were invalid because people who come to stay at Paws Up are here to escape the pandemic and
should be gifted with a stress-free stay, and threatened to take my job. I need an income, but I also need to
care about my personal health. I am not sure what to do in my position, and might have to continue working
through the resort. It is hard to find a remote job right now or one that has to do with what I am going school for
(Public Health and Epidemiology) so I feel obligated to stay. I am scared for my health, my coworkers' health,
and for the health of Missoula. Missoula residents do a fantastic job at keeping our community as safe as it can
be, however, with Paws Up functioning the way that it has been, it could be a matter of time until Paws Up
becomes the source of another spike in cases. Aside from Missoula County alone, I fear for the states who
could also be affected through the infections of our guests. These people are taking planes to and from their
destinations and there has already been a number of Covid-19 infections among Paws Up employees. If this
novel disease spreads, it could affect more lives that what we can see in Missoula County. It will spread
elsewhere. Paws Up is a hazard to our county and our country. These last few weeks, we have reached max
occupancy. That is 260-something guests on the resort. How is the ongoing operating of this resort fair to the
residents of Missoula and to their employees? I understand that there are things that can be said to Paws Up in
hopes that they make changes, however, one resort can not control the actions of their 250+ guests, 300+
employees, and the fast-paced spreading of Covid-19. I believe that Paws Up getting shut down could be one
of the best and most preventative ways to eliminate transmission of a novel virus. I hope this helps and I hope
that action can be taken on such an inconsiderate business.
I am especially concerned because I know, for example, that The Resort at Paws Up is operating at near-
capacity with out-of-state guests who are not required to wear masks, and who are harassing employees to
NOT wear them, all while the resort is operating under severe staff shortages. How is Missoula going to be safe
with this nonsense happening? How can those employees expect to be safe? There are no safety measures
here, and I'm seeing it get worse and worse
Recent clients at Paws Up stated they didn't think the virus could survive at this elevation! Absurd.
from phone message - something is going on at Paws Up and it might be important. The Potomac Fire
Department was called out there last week and went to one of the houses. It might be important.
Action Taken
4/8/20: Called and spoke with the Managing Director of the Resort. He sounded very up to date with the orders
and directives and stated that the resort wants to do everything necessary to comply. The only area they
needed more guidance on was what quarantine looks like for guests from out of state. I told him that was
understandable since we just got the guidance this morning. They currently have 4 guests (2 pairs) staying at
the resort and both are under quarantine. All went through the National Guard upon entry into MT. All food is
being delivered to their door steps and none are participating in activities besides hiking on their own. All
grocery shopping in town is done by the resort- this is a standard service. They are posting videos on their
Facebook showing activities but these are all virtual.; As for staff, all employment is voluntary. ; There are no
reservations for any MT residents for the next 30 days, but we did discuss what would be required for in-state
guests.
7/1/20: Called and left message with complainant requesting call back to get more information.; Received call
from complainant. We discussed their concerns which was primarily about their own health and safety when
they book jobs at this location. They do not feel the resort is taking precautions seriously and is not having staff
or customers wear cloth face coverings as a way to not remind them that a pandemic is happening. We did
discuss that cloth face coverings are not required, but highly encouraged, and that we would reach out to
management to again discuss the importance of their use. As for protecting their own health and safety when
onsite, we discussed things they can do such as staying 6 feet away from anyone outside of their group such
as other staff members and customers.; There were some concerns about rumors of staff having tested
positive. I explained that the health department is notified of any positive cases and that positive case is under
the direction of a public health nurse to ensure isolation. We also discussed contact tracing, what that would
look like, and that any close contact would be required to quarantine. We discussed that any positive case or
person under quarantine is excluded from work until released by the health department.; Email sent to facility
director.; Received email response from director stating that they use masks dependent on customer
preference and are typically able to keep distance at all times. They also offer paid time off for all employees if
they are exhibiting symptoms so they can stay home until tested and cleared. The owner stated that they have
only had 7 of 400 employees excluded because of symptoms and all but one has been cleared. The other is
awaiting test results. The director discussed their exclusion policies and all appear to meet requirements.
7/8: I have been in communication with the director since March about COVID requirements. Our latest
discussion was last week to talk about similar complaints. All policies and procedures appear in line with
requirements. Notifying staff of the positive case is a HIPAA violation and any close contacts will be contacted
by the Health Department. The facility has implemented a mandatory mask policy as of 7/1/20 according to
facility director.
7/17/20: Informed the facility director of the complaints received and requested information on what policies and
procedures are onsite for guests. Director indicated that they have made face coverings part of the uniform for
all employees and have provided them to all staff. As for guests, they have signage and face coverings at all
entrances and they have created a guidance provided to all guests when they check in at the airport. Sent the
manager our face covering FAQ along with our guidance document for when staff test positive, close contacts,
etc.
etc.
etc.
Sent information about the complaints to Kirby Christian (atty) and Steve Hurst (managing director), and
included a list of what they need to make sure that they're doing, and the Directive regarding food and drink
establishments. Steve acknowledged the email.
Not much I can do with this complaint, but I did let Paws Up know that we had gotten multiple complaints today,
and sent them the language from the ones that had more information in them.
Emailed Steve and let him know about the complaint. See attached email for response.
7/23/20: Emailed Kirby and Steve Hurst about the complaint and requested a meeting. ST
7/24/20: Jeanna and others met with Kirby and Steve over Teams. ST
7/27/20: Jeanna, Shannon, and Emily met to discuss Teams call and site visit. ST
7/29/20: Emily did a site visit. See 7/29 complaint (2020-0729-7806) for details.
COVID case investigators talk with all positive cases to establish how long they have to isolate and to identify
close contacts. Close contacts are contacted and required to quarantine. This complainant did not provide
information that indicates Paws Up is not complying with the public health directives and orders in place to
prevent the spread of COVID-19.
COVID case investigators talk with all positive cases to establish how long they have to isolate and to identify
close contacts. Close contacts are contacted and required to quarantine. This complainant did not provide
information that indicates Paws Up is not complying with the public health directives and orders in place to
prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Site visit conducted 7/29/20. See Paws Up Complaint Investigation summary dated 07/29/20.
8/3/20: During the site visit conducted 7/29/20, lightning started a small fire on Ninemile Prairie near staff
housing. This is most likely the reasoning behind the fire department being onsite.

8-3-20 Paws Up Complaint Report

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General ComplainComplaintComplaint TReceived By Assigned To Status Establishment Name

20-Jul-2020 2020-0720 COVID-19 April Thorson Shannon L Ther

20-Jul-2020 2020-0720 COVID-19 April Thorson Shannon L Ther

20-Jul-2020 2020-0720 COVID-19 Kirstin A Golga Shannon L Ther

20-Jul-2020 2020-0720 COVID-19 April Thorson Shannon L Ther

21-Jul-2020 2020-0721 COVID-19 Kirstin A Golga Shannon L Ther

21-Jul-2020 2020-0721 COVID-19 April Thorson Shannon L Ther

21-Jul-2020 2020-0721 COVID-19 April Thorson Shannon L Ther

21-Jul-2020 2020-0721 COVID-19 Kirstin A Golga Shannon L Ther

22-Jul-2020 2020-0722 COVID-19 April Thorson Shannon L Ther

22-Jul-2020 2020-0722 COVID-19 April Thorson Shannon L Ther

I heard a co-worker tested positive.

Gathering of 200 out-of-town guests with no masks required.

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