Every employer or other person acting either individually or as an officer, agent, or employee of another person is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both, who willfully does any of the following:
(a) Pays or causes to be paid any employee a wage less than the rate paid to an employee of another sex, race, or ethnicity, as required by Section 1197.5.
(b) Reduces the wages of any employee in order to comply with Section 1197.5.
No person shall be imprisoned pursuant to this section except for an offense committed after the conviction of the person for a prior offense pursuant to this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 866, Sec. 2. (SB 1063) Effective January 1, 2017.)