In this Capitol Report:
Colorado Chamber Takes Positions on New Labor & Employment Bills
The Colorado Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday held its Labor and Employment Policy Council meeting to discuss upcoming legislation for the 2023 session. The Council also heard from Rep. Judy Amabile, Chair of the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee.
Chair Amabile and members of the Council discussed one of the major new employment bills expected to go through her committee – the Fair Workweek Employment Standards Act. The bill has yet to be filed, but the Chamber has reviewed a draft of the legislation, which is expected to be filed soon. The bill would have sweeping impacts on many industries, including restaurants and retails – placing new regulations and restrictions on how employers set employee schedules and requiring pay predictability when an employee’s shift has been cut short. Read more on the bill in today’s article in Colorado Politics here.
The Colorado Chamber has expressed major concerns about this legislation and will continue updating its members on further developments.
At the council meeting, members took positions on the following bills:
HB 1032 – Remedies for People with Disabilities
Chamber Position: AMEND
The bill makes changes to disability laws, including remedies a person with a disability is entitled to related to discrimination. It also creates a new private right of action against employers.
SB 17 – Extended Uses of Sick Leave
Chamber Position: AMEND
This bill allows an employee to used accrued paid sick leave for certain circumstances, including caring for a family member when school has been closed and attending a funeral or memorial service. The Colorado Chamber took an amend position to allow employees to use existing bereavement leave or PTO if they offer either.
HB 1035 – Statute of Limitations on Minimum Wage Violations
Chamber Position: SUPPORT
The bill specifies that actions brought for violations of minimum wage laws must be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrues or, for a willful violation, within three years after the cause of action accrues.
HB 1006 – Employer Notice Of Income Tax Credits
Chamber Position: AMEND
This bill creates new requirements on employers to provide written notice to employees on the availability of certain tax credits, including the earned income tax credit and state child tax credits.
The chamber also discussed several other bills, including SB 46 regarding paid family and medical leave portability and amendments to the 2019 Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, which has yet to be filed.
Employers Get Educated on Wage & Hour Laws & Regulations by Littler Attorneys
The Colorado Chamber hosted an Employer Training Workshop this week to help employers understand the current compliance requirements with Colorado’s wage and hour laws and regulations to avoid non-compliance and potential fines.
Jennifer Harpole, Shareholder at Littler law firm and Colorado Chamber Labor & Employment Council member, and Luke Gilewski, Attorney at Littler, served as the Workshop’s instructors on this topic and provided great insight and guidance to employers who participated in the Workshop.
Jennifer has spent decades practicing in the area of employment law and specializes in many areas including:
- Wage & Hour
- Misclassification
- Commission & Bonus packages
- Joint Employment
- Enforcement of Arbitration Agreements
Luke Gilewski focuses his practice on labor and employment matters as well as commercial litigation, property disputes, fraudulent transfers, and community ownership laws.
If you are seeking additional legal guidance on this topic, we strongly encourage you to contact Jennifer Harpole at the following:
Jennifer Harpole, Shareholder, Littler
[email protected]
(303) 362-2868
Save the Dates - Upcoming Policy Council Meetings
Energy & Environment Council – Jan. 24th
Guest Speakers:
- Garry Kaufman, Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs, CDPHE
- Nicole Rowan, Director of the Water Quality Control Division in CDPHE
- Lindsay Ellis, Legislative Liaison, CDPHE
Governmental Affairs Council – Jan. 31st
Guest Speakers:
- Allie Kimmel, Legislative Director, Office of the Governor and Eleni Angelides, Deputy Legislative Director, Office of the Governor
- Guest speakers will also include: Liz Peetz and Jason Hopfer on behalf of the Colorado Association of Realtors to discuss 2023 Housing Legislation
View the complete list of policy council meetings on the online calendar.