With all the hoopla surrounding the new family and medical leave program in Colorado, significant changes in state wage laws have garnered considerably less attention. Senate Bill 22-161 amended the Colorado Wage Act and created a new worker protection unit in the office of the Colorado attorney general. More specifically, the act: Increases the penalties […]
It seems like just yesterday employers approached the end of 2020 hopeful 2021 would be better than the year before. But here we are two years later approaching the third year of a public health emergency in Colorado related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On. Nov. 11, Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order expanding the […]
As I drove south on U.S. Highway 50 and 550 recently, I noticed a series of signs advising me to check my tires and asking whether I was ready for winter. Of course, being physically and emotionally prepared for winter are different subjects. Employers must prepare for winter, too. This column will cover a few […]
In my role advising and representing employers, the situation about which employers inquire most is the interactive process required in determining how to reasonably accommodate disabled employees. No situation is the same, and my advice varies based on the facts. But some or all of the following factors are present in every discussion: The employer […]
Colorado employers must make payroll deductions for two new programs beginning in January. They should prepare now by examining policies and procedures and consulting payroll vendors to ensure they follow state laws. The first program is the Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program. I summarized the requirements for employers in a previous column […]
My column in February covered Colorado legislation making violations of the state noncompete law a criminal offense punishable by three to 12 months in county jail and/or $250 to $1,000 in fines. The column also provided an overview of the noncompete law in Colorado. But in its latest session, the Legislature enacted and the governor […]
As the cost of housing skyrockets, an increasing number of employers provide employee housing or housing subsidies. According to the Urban Institute, available and affordable housing helps employers attract and retain employees and makes communities more attractive to new companies and those seeking to relocate. In addition, affordable housing increases employee productivity and job satisfaction. […]
Not long before the COVID-19 pandemic occupied employers’ time and attention, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment began issuing interpretive notices and formal opinions — INFOs — providing guidance on employment laws and regulations. INFOs offer the most detailed guidance issued by the CDLE in recent memory. Employers who don’t review these notices are […]
Colorado voters approved Proposition 118 in 2020, authorizing a state-run paid family and medical leave insurance (FAMLI) program. The FAMLI program will provide paid leave for employees to take care of themselves and their families during circumstances that pull them away from their jobs — growing their families or taking care of loved ones with […]
Class action wage and hour litigation is expected to “explode” in 2022, according to a report from the Seyfarth Shaw national law firm. The prediction is based in large part on the Biden administration’s new employee-friendly wage and hour regulations and a stated goal of increasing enforcement of wage and hour laws. The administration already […]