22 GCA § 3117
Penalties; Collection of Unpaid Wages; Injunctions, etc
View official PDF ↗(a)Criminal. Any employer who intentional violates any provisions of this Chapter other than § 3211, or of any rule, regulation or order issued under the authority of this Chapter, or who discharges or in any other manner discriminates against such employee because such employee has made a complaint to his employer, to the Department of labor or to any other person, or has instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this Chapter, or has testified or is about to testify in any such proceedings, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. Failure of an employer to pay an employee any wages shall constitute prima facie evidence of a violation of this Chapter.
(b)Liability to employee. Any employer who violates any provision of §§ 3105 or 3107 shall be liable to the employee or employees affected in the amount of their unpaid minimum wages or unpaid overtime compensation, as the case may be, and in case of willful violation an additional equal amount as liquidated damages.
(c)Collection suits, attorney's fees; assignments; relief from costs. Action to recover such liability may be maintained in the Superior Court of Guam by any one or more employees for an in behalf of himself or themselves and other employees similarly situated, or such employee or employees may designate an agent or representative to maintain such action for and in behalf of all employees similarly situated. The court in such action shall, in addition to any judgment awarded to the plaintiff or plaintiffs, in the event the plaintiff or plaintiffs prevail, allow a reasonable attorney's fee to be paid by the defendant, and costs of the action. At the request of any person paid less than the amount to which he is entitled under the provisions of this Chapter, the Commission may take an assignment in trust for the assigning employee of the full amount to which he is entitled under this subsection and may bring any legal action necessary to collect such claim, and the employer shall be required to pay the costs and such reasonable attorney's fees as may be allowed by the court in the event the commissioner prevails. The Commissioner shall not be required to pay the filing fee, or other costs, in connection with such action. The Commissioner, in case of suit, may join various claimants against the same employer in one action.
(d)Injunctions. Whenever it appears to the Commissioner that any employer is engaged in any act or practice which constitutes or will constitute a violation of any provision of this Chapter, or of any provision of any regulation, he may in his discretion bring an action in the Superior Court of Guam in which it is charged the act or practice complained of occurred to enjoin such act or practice and enforce compliance with this Chapter or with such regulation, and upon a proper showing, a permanent or temporary injunction or decree or restraining order shall be granted without bond.
§ The story of this section
- Amended by P.L. 13-187 § 224 (bill & sponsor pending — earlier Legislature not yet ingested)
- Amended by P.L. 21-140 § 17 (bill & sponsor pending — earlier Legislature not yet ingested)
Interpreted by the courts:
- 2023 Guam 27 — Layla Story-Bernardo, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Government of Guam, Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, Defendants-Appelle (2023)
Reconstructed from the Guam Code Annotated. For the authoritative version, see the official PDF.