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The Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act: It may be time to review your paid sick leave policy

Gov. Jared Polis signed the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA) on July 14, 2020, and it became effective at the start of this year. It requires that all employers provide each employee paid sick leave as and to provide statutory notice of such rights. Among other changes to Colorado’s requirements pertaining to paid sick leave, each employee now earns at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, though employees are not entitled to earn or use more than 48 hours of paid sick leave each year, unless the employer allows a higher limit. Employers are prohibited from engaging in retaliatory personnel actions when employees use paid sick leave, which now must begin to accrue when an employee begins working and can be used as it is accrued. HFWA does not allow for any vesting of paid sick leave.

Up to 48 hours of accrued, but unused, paid sick leave are required to be carried forward into, and can be used in, a subsequent year. That said, employers are not required to allow employees to use more than 48 hours of paid sick leave in a year.

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You can read the remainder of the article on the Colorado Builder Magazine website.

You can reach Dave McLain by telephone at (303) 987-9813 or by e-mail at mclain@hhmrlaw.com should you wish to discuss the Colorado Healthy Family and Workplaces Act or construction law in Colorado.