The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that state law requires that all earned vacation pay must be paid at the end of the employment relationship.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) has issued a final rule clarifying that employers are prohibited from requiring employees to forfeit any accrued paid time off (PTO) that they may choose to use for vacation and other needs. The final rule takes effect January 1, 2022.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment has released rules that finalize an increase to the minimum wage and the minimum salary required for exemption from overtime, add a new exemption from overtime for highly compensated employees, and establish new poster rules for employers. The changes are included in Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order #38 and the 2022 Publication and Yearly Calculation of Adjusted Labor Compensation (PAY CALC) Order and take effect Jan. 1, 2022.

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, Colorado (CO) requires employers with 15 or fewer employees to provide paid sick leave to employees. Larger employers were already subject to the requirement.

Colorado has implemented rules effective May 1, 2022 that require additional meal and rest breaks for agricultural workers when dangerous conditions exist.

Colorado has enacted legislation (Senate Bill 161) that amends the state’s wage theft law. It requires employers to provide notice to an employee before deducting from their pay for money or property the employee failed to return or repay upon termination of employment.

Colorado’s state-run retirement program, called Colorado SecureSavings, is set to launch in early 2023. Employers with five or more employees must either facilitate the program or offer a qualifying retirement plan to employees.