48-1232 Employee; claim; judgment; additional recovery from employer; when. - Nebraska Statutes

48-1232. Employee; claim;judgment; additional recovery from employer; when.Ifan employee establishes a claim and secures judgment on such claim under subsection (1) of section 48-1231: (1) An amount equal to the judgment may be recovered from the employer;or (2) if the nonpayment of wages is found to be willful, an amount equalto two times the amount of unpaid wages shall be recovered from the employer.Any amount recovered pursuant to subdivision (1) or (2) of this section shallbe remitted to the State Treasurer for distribution in accordance with ArticleVII, section 5, of the Constitution of Nebraska. SourceLaws 1977, LB 220A, § 5; Laws 1989, LB 238, § 2; Laws 1990, LB 1178, § 1; Laws 2007, LB255, § 5; Laws 2010, LB884, § 4.AnnotationsIt is in the court's discretion whether to order an employer to pay to the common schools fund an amount equal to the judgment. There was a reasonable dispute concerning whether payment for unused vacation leave was due to the employees. Roseland v. Strategic Staff Mgmt., 272 Neb. 434, 722 N.W.2d 499 (2006).The amount of penalty ordered to be paid to a fund to be distributed to the common schools of the state is a matter left to the discretion of the trial court, subject to the limitations prescribed by statute. Kinney v. H.P. Smith Ford, 266 Neb. 591, 667 N.W.2d 529 (2003).The Nebraska Wage Payment and Collection Act does not represent a very clear mandate of public policy which would warrant recognition of an exception to the employment-at-will doctrine. Malone v. American Bus. Info., 262 Neb. 733, 634 N.W.2d 788 (2001).It is discretionary with the court whether to order the employer to pay to the common school fund an amount equal to the judgment. This section should not be invoked where there is a reasonable dispute as to the fact that wages are owed or as to the amount of the wages. Morris v. Rochester Midland Corp., 259 Neb. 870, 612 N.W.2d 921 (2000).It is discretionary with the court whether to order the employer to pay to the common school fund an amount equal to the judgment. Suess v. Lee Sapp Leasing, 229 Neb. 755, 428 N.W.2d 899 (1988).The award of an attorney fee of not less than twenty-five percent of the unpaid wages is mandatory under this act. Barbour v. Jenson Commercial Distributing Co., 212 Neb. 512, 323 N.W.2d 824 (1982).