AB 1947 extends the period of time for employees who believe that they have been discharged or otherwise discriminated against in violation of any law enforced by the Labor Commissioner to file a complaint with the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement from six months to one year. AB 1947 also authorizes a court to award reasonable attorney’s fees to a plaintiff who successfully brings a whistleblower action under Labor Code Section 1102.5. Prior to AB 1947, workers who prevailed in lawsuits alleging that their employer made, adopted or enforced a policy that prevented them from disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency where they had reasonable cause to believe that the information disclosed a violation of a state or federal law could obtain damages, but were not permitted to recover attorney’s fees. AB 1947 now affords them the ability to do so.
This bill amends Sections 98.7 and 1102.5 of the Labor Code.