West Virginia Code 21-5-5 – Coercion of employees to purchase merchandise in payment of wages; sale of merchandise for more than prevailing cash value
If any corporation, company, firm or person shall coerce or compel, or attempt to coerce or compel, an employee in its, their or his employment to purchase goods or supplies in payment of wages due him or to become due him or otherwise, from any corporation, company, firm or person, such first named corporation, company, firm or person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as provided in the next preceding section. And if any such corporation, company, firm or person shall, directly or indirectly, sell to any such employee in payment of wages due or to become due him or otherwise, goods or supplies at prices higher than the reasonable or current market value thereof at cash, such corporation, company, firm or person shall be liable to such employee, in a civil action, in double the amount of the charges made and paid for such goods or supplies, in excess of the reasonable or correct value thereof in cash.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 21-5-5
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Employee: means any public employee of the state, or any state agency. See West Virginia Code 21-3A-2
- firm: includes any partnership, association, joint-stock company, trust, division of a corporation, the administrator or executor of the estate of a deceased individual, or the receiver, trustee, or successor of any of the same, or officer thereof, employing any person. See West Virginia Code 21-5-1
- Person: means one or more individuals. See West Virginia Code 21-3A-2
- wages: means compensation for labor or services rendered by an employee, whether the amount is determined on a time, task, piece, commission, or other basis of calculation. See West Virginia Code 21-5-1
- wages due: shall include at least all wages earned up to and including the twelfth day immediately preceding the regular payday. See West Virginia Code 21-5-1