Colorado has enacted House Bill 25-1001, which significantly amends the state’s wage and hour laws by enhancing enforcement mechanisms, expanding employer liability, and strengthening employee protections. The law will take...more
6/9/2025
/ Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Independent Contractors ,
Misclassification ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Retaliation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tip Credit ,
Tipped Employees ,
Wage and Hour
The City of Boulder has enacted its own local minimum wage ordinance, which took effect January 1, 2025, setting the city’s minimum wage at $15.57 per hour. The new law adds another challenge to multi-jurisdiction compliance...more
Colorado employers face additional requirements as of January 1, 2024 to comply with the amendments to Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (EPEWA), which originally took effect in 2021. Most notably, employers will be...more
The Colorado locality of Edgewater—which borders Denver and has a population of around 5,000—has enacted its own local minimum wage ordinance, which takes effect January 1, 2024. The new law demonstrates how challenging...more
On June 5, 2023, Governor Polis Signed SB 23-105 into law, which will significantly change employers’ job posting and promotional notice obligations in Colorado. The law amends Colorado’s pay transparency statute, which has...more
6/8/2023
/ Colorado ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Ads ,
Labor Reform ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Pay Transparency ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Wage and Hour
Earlier this month, Washington issued its final Administrative Policy providing the state’s interpretation of the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, which takes effect on January 1, 2023. The law provides that employers must...more
Colorado has again modified the state’s wage theft laws with the enactment of Senate Bill 22-161. Among other things, the wide-ranging amendments increase penalties for employers that do not timely pay wages, allow employees...more
Colorado enacted a slew of employment-related legislation in the 2022 legislative session. One important new piece of legislation, Senate Bill 22-234, updates the notice requirements regarding unemployment insurance that...more
The Colorado Department of Labor Division of Labor Standards and Statistics has proposed modifications to its Wage Protection Rules and has published proposed Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order #38. ...more
On June 14, 2021, the Colorado Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Nieto v. Clark’s Market, holding that company policies that provide for the forfeiture of earned vacation pay are unenforceable under Colorado...more
The Colorado Legislature has formally introduced Senate Bill 21-176, the Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights (POWR) Act, which would impose sweeping changes to Colorado’s anti-discrimination law....more
3/15/2021
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Gig Economy ,
Harassment ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Statute of Limitations
On November 10, 2020, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) issued its final Equal Pay Transparency (EPT) Rules implementing Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, which goes into effect January 1, 2021....more
11/16/2020
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Labor Reform ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Pay Gap ,
Pay Transparency ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
On November 10, 2020, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (Division) published the final Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards Order Number 37 (COMPS Order 37),...more
For years, a group of Colorado’s legislators tried—without success—to enact a statewide paid family and medical leave (PFML) program. Facing gridlock at the statehouse, advocates of PFML opted to take the issue directly to...more
In an expansive reading of Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (Equal Pay Act), the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) issued proposed Equal Pay Transparency Rules (EPT Rules) that contain broad,...more
On March 16, 2020, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics’ new Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards Order Number 36 (“COMPS Order 36”) officially went into effect....more
Effective March 16, 2020, virtually all private employers in Colorado will be subject to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics’ new Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay...more
3/12/2020
/ Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Highly Compensated Employees ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Posting Requirements ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Rest and Meal Break ,
Salaried Employees ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Statements ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Effective August 2, 2019, Colorado employers using tip pools must comply with new customer notice requirements. Under H.B. 1254, which passed both houses of the legislature in the 2019 session and was signed by Governor...more
In a significant decision for employers, a Colorado appellate court recently upheld an employer’s policy requiring forfeiture of accrued, unused vacation at separation of employment, finding the policy did not violate the...more
7/12/2019
/ Accrued Benefits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Former Employee ,
Labor Regulations ,
Notice Requirements ,
Resignation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Termination ,
Vacation Pay ,
Wage and Hour
In its recently concluded session, the Colorado General Assembly passed legislation to strengthen the state’s pay equity requirements, prohibit employers from seeking salary history from job applicants, and require employers...more
5/9/2019
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Pay ,
Gender-Based Pay Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pay Gap ,
Pending Legislation ,
Posting Requirements ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour