Colorado Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2025)

Per the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for:

• Birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Serious health conditions affecting themselves or family members.
• Military family leave.

The Colorado’s Family Care Act (FCA) expands FMLA definitions to include domestic partners and civil unions.

Per Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA):

• Employees accrue 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
• Maximum accrual is 48 hours (6 days) per year.
• Leave can be used for:
  • Personal mental or physical illness.
  • Preventive care, including vaccinations.
  • Caring for family members with health conditions.
  • Domestic violence or sexual assault situations.
• Employers cannot penalize employees for taking sick leave.

Effective from January 1, 2024, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program provides:

• Up to 12 weeks of paid leave for various life events, including serious health conditions and bonding with a new child.
• An additional 4 weeks for pregnancy or childbirth complications, totaling up to 16 weeks.

While Colorado law does not mandate vacation time, employers cannot enforce “use-it-or-lose-it” policies regarding accrued vacation days. Employees may carry over unused vaca

Under Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) § 13-71-126, employers are required to pay employees who are called for jury duty up to $50 per day for the first three days of service.

After this period, the state provides compensation to jurors, and employers are no longer obligated to pay.

This requirement does not extend to temporary or part-time employees, and employers are not required to pay more than the $50 daily rate during those initial days of service.

This policy policy under the FAMLI program provides job-protected leave for employees experiencing domestic violence, stalking, abuse, or sexual assault. Employees can take this leave by providing a simple good-faith attestation, without the need for legal proof.

Colorado law does not require employers to provide paid or unpaid bereavement leave. However, if an employer has a bereavement leave policy, they must adhere to their established policy or practice​.

Colorado law grants military service members up to 15 days of unpaid leave per year for National Guard or U.S. armed forces exercises, with reinstatement rights to their previous position.

Public employees may receive additional benefits, including paid military leave and retention of benefits​.

Employees are entitled to up to 2 hours of paid leave to vote in a primary or general election. The leave must be requested at least one day before the election, and employers may choose when the leave is taken.

However, if the employee’s shift already provides three hours to vote before or after work, the employer is not required to grant voting leave​.

During a declared public health emergency, such as COVID-19, employees are entitled to paid leave. This covers various situations including illness, quarantine, vaccination, and caring for family members affected by school or childcare closures.

The leave is paid at the employee’s regular rate, ensuring that workers are supported during health crises.

Qualified volunteers, such as first responders, are eligible for up to 15 days of unpaid leave per year to respond to emergencies.

This leave ensures that individuals involved in emergency services can perform their duties without risking their employment status.

Here are the 2024 local minimum wage rates for select areas in Colorado:

• Denver:
  • Minimum wage: $18.29 per hour
  • Tipped wage: $15.27 per hour
• Edgewater:
  • Minimum wage: $15.02 per hour
  • Tipped wage: $12.00 per hour
• Boulder County (unincorporated areas):
  • Minimum wage: $15.69 per hour
  • Tipped wage: $12.67 per hour

In Colorado, certain workers can receive sub-minimum wages:

• Tipped Employees: Paid $11.79 per hour, as long as tips bring earnings to $14.81 per hour.
• Minors: Most minors can be paid 15% less than the full minimum wage.
• Range Workers: Engaged in livestock production on the open range, receiving at least $590.61 per week in 2024.

Effective July 1, 2025, Colorado will eliminate sub-minimum wages for workers with disabilities under SB21-039. Employers can no longer pay these workers below the standard minimum wage, ensuring fair pay and equality for all.

In Colorado, certain categories of employees are exempt from minimum wage requirements. Here’s a list of those exemptions:

1. Administrative Employees
2. Executives or Supervisors
3. Professional Employees
4. Outside Salespersons
5. Owners or Proprietors
6. Taxi Cab Drivers
7. In-Residence Workers (e.g., casual babysitters, property managers, student residence workers)
8. Bona Fide Volunteers and Work-Study Students
9. Elected Officials and Their Staff
10. Highly-Technical Employees in Computer-Related Occupations
11. High-Earning Employees
12. National Western Stock Show Employees

Additionally, non-emancipated minors can be paid at a rate 15% lower than the statewide minimum wage.

Colorado follows the at-will employment doctrine, meaning employers and employees can terminate the employment relationship at any time for any legal reason, as long as it doesn’t violate discrimination laws​.

Colorado is considered a modified right-to-work state. Employees are not required to join a union or pay dues to benefit from union protections in most workplaces​.

However, the Colorado Labor Peace Act allows unionization after two elections resulting in 75%+ approval from a company’s forkforce.

Employers can conduct background checks and request drug tests during the hiring process. Colorado’s Ban-the-Box law prohibits asking about criminal history on initial applications, but employers can request background information later in the hiring process.

Colorado protects employees from discrimination based on race, gender, disability, religion, and other protected characteristics. Employers must provide equal opportunities regardless of these traits.