Denver Partner Shares Insights on Proposed Changes to Anti-Discrimination Laws in Colorado

In an interview with Law Week Colorado, Kristin White discusses the state’s proposed legislation called Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights (POWR) Act.  The POWR Act would significantly change the process for filing employment discrimination complaints by allowing employees to bring their lawsuit directly to any court of competent jurisdiction without having to exhaust administrative remedies as long as they first file a charge with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission or serve the employer a demand letter for relief and give the employer 14 days to respond. Kristin warns that eliminating the administrative process requirement could end up burdening the court system as so many claims will be directly filed in court without the possibility of settlement that an administrative process would normally provide.

The article goes on to explain that the POWR Act would also “expand the definition of ‘employee’ to include independent contractors, subcontractors and their employees and those who offer services or labor without pay, such as unpaid interns.” Kristin notes that this change would be “significant” and “could really affect the way companies have structured their different business models.”

To read the article visit Law Week Colorado.