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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>58444</law_id><section_number>9.1-704</section_number><catch_line>Employee&amp;#8217;s remedies; award of attorneys&amp;#8217; fees and costs</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="9.1">Commonwealth Public Safety</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="7">Overtime Compensation for Law-Enforcement Employees and Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, and Other Fire Protection Employees</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> In an action brought under this chapter, an <span class="dictionary">employer</span> who violates the provisions of this chapter shall be liable to the fire protection or <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement employee</span> affected in an amount of double the amount of the unpaid compensation due such employee. However, if the <span class="dictionary">employer</span> can prove that his violation was in good faith, he shall be liable only for the amount of the unpaid compensation plus interest at the rate of eight percent per year, commencing on the date the compensation was due to the employee. <a id="paragraph-214196" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-704/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Where the fire protection or <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement employee</span> prevails, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall award him attorneys&#x2019; fees and costs to be paid by the <span class="dictionary">employer</span>. <a id="paragraph-214197" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-704/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The provisions of this section pertaining to <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement employees</span> shall only apply in instances where the <span class="dictionary">employer</span> employs 100 or more <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement employees</span>. <a id="paragraph-214198" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-704/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2001, c. 768, &#xA7; 2.1-116.9:11; 2005, c. 732.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
