(a) An employee, who was not offered employment or who has been discharged in violation of this chapter by a successor contractor or successor subcontractor, or an agent of the employee may bring an action against a successor contractor or successor subcontractor in any superior court of the State of California having jurisdiction over the successor contractor or successor subcontractor. Upon finding a violation of this chapter, the court shall award backpay, including the value of benefits, for each day during which the violation has occurred and continues to occur. The amount of backpay shall be calculated as the greater of either of the following:
(1) The average regular rate of pay received by the employee during the last three years of the employee’s employment in the same occupation classification multiplied by the average hours worked during the last three years of the employee’s employment.
(2) The final regular rate of pay received by the employee at the time of termination of the predecessor contract multiplied by the number of hours usually worked by the employee.
(b) The court may order a preliminary or permanent injunction to stop the continued violation of this chapter.
(c) If the employee is the prevailing party in the legal action, the court shall award the employee reasonable attorney’s fees and costs as part of the costs recoverable.
(d) In the absence of a claim by an employee that he or she was terminated in violation of this chapter, an employee may not maintain a cause of action under this chapter solely for the failure of an employer to provide a written performance evaluation.
(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 795, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2002.)