(a) Any employee who believes that their employer has violated any provision of this chapter, or of Section 545.22 ("Wage Theft") of this Code, shall have the right to report such alleged violations to the Division of Taxation of the City of Toledo or its designee.
(b) Upon receiving such complaint, the Division of Taxation or its designee shall investigate to determine whether the allegations more likely than not occurred.
(c) In situations where the allegations are determined to be well-founded, the Division of Taxation may request the Director of Law to institute an appropriate civil action for money damages or injunctive relief. The penalties prescribed in Section 796.06(e) shall not preclude the Director of Law from instituting appropriate legal actions or proceedings to prevent such illegal acts from continuing.
(d) Upon a determination that a violation of this chapter has occurred, the Division of Taxation shall notify the Director of Finance and the Office of Contract Compliance of the violation and impose a civil fine.
(e) The fines imposed on violators of Chapter 796 and/or Section 545.22 for the investigation and prosecution of violations shall be as shown below. If three (3) years occurs between offenses, the violation shall be reduced to the previous fine but shall never be less than a first offense.
(1) First offense: $250.00
(2) Second offense: $500.00
(3) Third offense: $1000.00
(4) Fourth offense: $2500.00
(5) Fifth offense and any subsequent offenses: $3000.00
(f) The payment of the fines above shall not relieve any employer from their obligations under this or any other section of Toledo Municipal Code.
(Ord. 147-17. Passed 10-3-17.)