Georgia § 49-4-168 - 4. Protection of employees from discrimination; relief; statute of limitations.

§ 49-4-168. 4. Protection of employees from discrimination; relief; statute of limitations.

Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make such employee, contractor, or agent whole, if that employee, contractor, or agent is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because of lawful acts done by such employee, contractor, agent or associated others in furtherance of a civil action under this Code section or other efforts to stop one or more violations of this article. Relief under subsection (a) of this Code section shall include reinstatement with the same seniority status that such employee, contractor, or agent would have had but for the discrimination, two times the amount of back pay, interest on the back pay, and compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discrimination, including litigation costs and reasonable attorney's fees. A civil action under this subsection may be brought in an appropriate court of this state for the relief provided in this Code section. Notwithstanding Code Section 49-4-168.5 , a civil action under this Code section may not be brought more than three years after the date when the discrimination occurred. (Code 1981, § 49-4-168.4 , enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 355, § 3/HB 551; Ga. L. 2012, p. 127, § 2-1/HB 822.) The 2012 amendment, effective July 1, 2012, substituted the present provisions of this Code section for the former provisions, which read: "Any employee who is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment by his or her employer because of lawful acts done by the employee, on behalf of the employee or others, in furtherance of a civil action under this article, including investigation for, initiation of, testimony for, or assistance in a civil action filed or to be filed under this article, shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make the employee whole. Such relief shall include reinstatement with the same seniority status such employee would have had but for the discrimination, two times the amount of back pay, interest on the back pay award, and compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discrimination, including litigation costs and reasonable attorney's fees. An employee may bring a civil action in an appropriate court of the State of Georgia for the relief provided in this Code section."