Denver, Colo. (January 20, 2022) - The past year brought numerous changes to Colorado's employment laws, including those governing the hiring process, wage and hour payments, and anti-discrimination protections. Lewis Brisbois' Labor & Employment team is here to help you keep track of these new and notable changes and ensure compliance of your business' operations. Below is a deeper dive into some of the bigger changes:

Minimum Wage

Effective January 1, 2022, the minimum wage in Colorado increased to $12.56, or $9.54 per hour for workers receiving enough in tips for their total pay to equal at least minimum wage. This minimum wage increase also applies to agricultural employees (except for range employees who must be paid a minimum weekly salary), as of June 2021's Agricultural Labor Rights and Responsibilities Act.

Additionally, agricultural employees may also now be eligible for overtime pay in certain circumstances starting November 1, 2022. As to daily overtime, agricultural employees will remain exempt if certain requirements are met. Specifically, for days over 12 hours, the third paid rest period must be 30 minutes long instead of the typical 10-minute paid rest period to allow time for extra rest, eating, and drinking. For days longer than 15 hours, agricultural employees must receive an extra payment of at least one hour of the Colorado minimum wage. With respect to weekly overtime, the rules include a phased-in approach over several years, with the first...

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