Similar to the prior five years, 2023 brought unprecedented changes in labor and employment laws that have already gone into effect or are now in effect for 2024 in Colorado, across the country in other states, by National Labor Relations Board, and through the U.S. Supreme Court. Employers should be aware of the many legal shifts in employment law to ensure compliance and avoid potential liability. If not already considered, decision-makers with hiring and firing authority should contact and work with experienced employment counsel to seek advice and counsel, update workplace policies as well as managerial practices, and address out-of-date practices.
Colorado Employment Law: Enactments and Expansion (2018-2023)
Colorado has had perhaps the most updates to its employment laws and regulations of any state over the past five years. The Centennial State has enacted or made amendments to many employment laws. The Colorado Chance to Compete Act (C.R.S. § 8-2-130) prevents employers from inquiring about applicant’s criminal history in the initial application or barring persons with criminal histories from applying for a position. The Colorado Wage Payment Act, (C.R.S. § 8-4-101) strengthens penalties and expands definitions of wage theft. Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (C.R.S. § 24-34-301) amends the definition of race to include hair texture, hair types, and hairstyles commonly associated with race for the purposes of employment discrimination claims....
A front-page article with the byline of veteran New York Times opinion writer Nicholas Kristof is the latest poisonous example of what I call the NGO “halo effect.” Headlined “The Silence That Mee...