45-612. FILING FALSE CLAIM — PENALTY. (1) Any person making a false claim for wages or other compensation under this chapter, knowing the same to be false, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by confinement in the county jail for a period not to exceed six (6) months, or by a fine, not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.
(2) Any employee initiating a civil proceeding to collect unpaid wages or other compensation, which is based in whole or in part on a false claim which the employee knew to be false at the time the employee brought the action, shall be liable for attorney’s fees and costs incurred by the employer in defending against the false claim. Proof of a criminal conviction under subsection (1) of this section shall not be required for recovery of the fees and costs provided for in this subsection.
History:
[45-612, added 1996, ch. 89, sec. 1, p. 270; am. 1999, ch. 51, sec. 13, p. 120.]