§ 218. Violations of certain provisions; civil penalties. 1. If the commissioner determines that an employer has violated a provision of article six (payment of wages), article nineteen (minimum wage act), article nineteen-A (minimum wage standards and protective labor practices for farm workers), section two hundred twelve-a, section two hundred twelve-b, section one hundred sixty-one (day of rest) or section one hundred sixty-two (meal periods) of this chapter, or a rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, the commissioner shall issue to the employer an order directing compliance therewith, which shall describe particularly the nature of the alleged violation. A copy of such order shall be provided to any employee who has filed a complaint and any authorized representative of him or her. In addition to directing payment of wages, benefits or wage supplements found to be due, and liquidated damages in the amount of one hundred percent of unpaid wages, such order, if issued to an employer who previously has been found in violation of those provisions, rules or regulations, or to an employer whose violation is willful or egregious, shall direct payment to the commissioner of an additional sum as a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed double the total amount of wages, benefits, or wage supplements found to be due. In no case shall the order direct payment of an amount less than the total wages, benefits or wage supplements found by the commissioner to be due, plus the liquidated damages in the amount of one hundred percent of unpaid wages, the appropriate civil penalty, and interest at the rate of interest then in effect, as prescribed by the superintendent of financial services pursuant to section fourteen-a of the banking law per annum from the date of the underpayment to the date of the payment. Where the violation is for a reason other than the employer's failure to pay wages, benefits or wage supplements found to be due, the order shall direct payment to the commissioner of a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars for a first violation, two thousand dollars for a second violation or three thousand dollars for a third or subsequent violation. In assessing the amount of the penalty, the commissioner shall give due consideration to the size of the employer's business, the good faith basis of the employer to believe that its conduct was in compliance with the law, the gravity of the violation, the history of previous violations and, in the case of wages, benefits or supplements violations, the failure to comply with recordkeeping or other non-wage requirements.

Where there is a violation of section one hundred ninety-eight-b of this chapter, the order shall direct payment back to the employee of the amount of wages, supplements or other thing of value unlawfully received plus liquidated damages in the amount of one hundred percent of unpaid wages, and interest at the rate of interest then in effect, as prescribed by the superintendent of financial services pursuant to section fourteen-a of the banking law per annum from the date of the payback, return, donation or contribution to the date of payment, and shall include such other relief as may be appropriate, including rehiring or reinstatement of the employee to his or her former position, back wages, and restoration of seniority. In addition, the commissioner shall order payment of a civil penalty of at least twenty-five hundred dollars but not more than five thousand dollars per violation. In assessing the amount of the penalty, the commissioner shall give due consideration to the size of the employer's business, the good faith basis of the employer to believe that its conduct was in compliance with the law, the gravity of the violation, and the history of previous violations.

At the discretion of the commissioner, the commissioner shall have full authority to provide for inclusion of an automatic fifteen percent additional amount of damages to come due and owing upon expiration of ninety days from an order to comply becoming final. The commissioner shall provide written notice to the employer in the order to comply of this additional damage.

2. An order issued under subdivision one of this section shall be final and not subject to review by any court or agency unless review is had pursuant to section one hundred one of this chapter.

3. Provided that no proceeding for administrative or judicial review as provided in this chapter shall then be pending and the time for initiation of such proceeding shall have expired, the commissioner may file with the county clerk of the county where the employer resides or has a place of business the order of the commissioner, or the decision of the industrial board of appeals containing the amount found to be due including the civil penalty, if any, and at the commissioner's discretion, an additional fifteen percent damages upon any outstanding monies owed. At the request of an employee, the commissioner shall assign, without consideration or liability, that portion of the filed order that constitutes wages, wage supplements, interest on wages or wage supplements, or liquidated damages due that employee, to that employee and may file an assignment or order in that amount in the name of that employee with the county clerk of the county where the employer resides or has a place of business. The filing of such assignment, order or decision shall have the full force and effect of a judgment duly docketed in the office of such clerk. The assignment, order or decision may be enforced by and in the name of the commissioner, or by the employee, in the same manner, and with like effect, as that prescribed by the civil practice law and rules for the enforcement of a money judgment.

4. The civil penalty provided for in this section shall be in addition to and may be imposed concurrently with any other remedy or penalty provided for in this chapter.

5. An employer similar in operation and ownership to a prior employer which had been found in violation of article six, nineteen or nineteen-A of this chapter, shall be deemed the same employer for the purposes of this section if the employees of the new employer are engaged in substantially the same work in substantially the same working conditions under substantially the same supervisors, or if the subsequent employer has substantially the same production process, produces substantially the same products and has substantially the same body of customers. Such subsequent employer shall continue to be subject to this section and liable for the acts of the prior employer under this section.