On June 2, 2023, Governor Jared Polis signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 23-017, which expands the qualifying reasons an employee may take leave under the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA)....more
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) recently released the 2023 Publication and Yearly Calculation of Adjusted Labor Compensation Order (2023 PAY CALC Order). The 2023 PAY CALC Order has increased the...more
On December 9, 2022, a federal judge in Montana permanently blocked enforcement in healthcare settings of a first-in-the-nation law that had prohibited discrimination in employment and the provision of services based on...more
12/20/2022
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Preemption ,
Vaccinations
On November 8, 2022, voters in Colorado passed a ballot initiative to decriminalize possession of and legalize limited use of psychedelic mushrooms and other plant- and fungi-derived psychedelic drugs by those 21 years of age...more
11/16/2022
/ Ballot Measures ,
Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Election Results ,
Employment Policies ,
General Elections ,
Mental Health ,
Preemption ,
PTSD ,
Recreational Use
On November 8, 2022, voters in Colorado will vote on whether to legalize psychedelic mushrooms and other naturally occurring psychedelic drugs through a ballot initiative. Proposition 122, or the “Natural Medicine Health Act...more
Colorado has enacted the most significant change to its legal landscape concerning restrictive covenants in the employment context in the state’s history. By enacting House Bill (HB) 22-1317, Colorado has a) eliminated a...more
On March 18, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana issued a preliminary injunction in Montana Medical Association v. Knudsen, enjoining enforcement of part of Montana’s vaccination law against “all Montana...more
Colorado has enlisted the help of the criminal justice system to reinforce its strong public policy against restrictive covenants. Beginning on March 1, 2022, violations of Colorado’s restrictive covenants statute, C.R.S. §...more
On May 7, 2021, Montana governor Greg Gianforte signed into law Montana House Bill 702, under which Montana became the first jurisdiction to recognize an individual’s vaccination status as a protected category. The law also...more
5/17/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
New Legislation ,
Protected Class ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
State Labor Laws ,
Vaccinations ,
Vaccine Passports
On November 3, 2020, Colorado voters passed Proposition 118, a ballot initiative establishing a paid family and medical leave program. The new law, known as the “Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act,” provides for 12...more
The Colorado General Assembly recently passed legislation intended to protect employees and certain independent contractors from discrimination and/or retaliation if they raise health and safety concerns related to a public...more
In 2020, as part of its annual wage order rulemaking, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Division of Labor Standards and Statistics adopted Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order #36, a...more
On June 1, 2016, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed into law Colorado’s Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The act, which becomes effective on August 10, 2016, amends the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) and...more
6/6/2016
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Compensatory Damages ,
Governor Hickenlooper ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Pregnancy ,
Punitive Damages ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Undue Hardship
The use of so-called “use-it-or-lose-it” vacation pay policies is receiving significant attention in Colorado, both from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) and from employers trying to make sense of the...more