Employees: wages.

Existing law authorizes the Labor Commissioner to investigate and enforce statutes and orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission that, among other things, specify the requirements for the payment of wages by employers. Existing law provides for criminal and civil penalties for violations of statutes and orders of the commission regarding payment of wages. Existing law authorizes the Labor Commissioner to recover liquidated damages for an employee who brings a complaint alleging payment of less than the minimum wage fixed by an order of the commission or by statute. Existing law subjects any employer, who pays or causes to be paid to any employee a wage less than the minimum fixed by an order of the commission or by statute, to a citation that includes a civil penalty and the payment of restitution of wages to the employee. This bill would expand that penalty and restitution provision for a citation to also subject the employer to payment of liquidated damages to the employee.