(a) Any employee or former employee aggrieved by a violation of §§ 28-6-18(a) through (i) shall be entitled to the same protections and relief as under § 28-14-19.2(a).
(b) An employer who violates § 28-6-22 shall be liable for any compensatory damages; or special damages not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000); appropriate equitable relief; and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs. In setting the amount of damages, the appropriate finder of fact should consider the size of the employer’s business; the good faith of the employer; the gravity of the violation; the history of previous violations; and whether or not the violation was an innocent mistake or willful.