Viewpoint: Colorado's New Wage Law Puts Teeth In Unpaid Wages Enforcement

Sue Schaecher's article "Viewpoint: Colorado's New Wage Law Puts Teeth In Unpaid Wages Enforcement" was published by the Denver Business Journal.

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s notices to employers of claims for unpaid wages soon will be more like subpoenas than invitations from the government to resolve their workers’ wage claims.

Starting January 1, 2015, the 2014 Wage Protection Act empowers the Division of Labor to adjudicate wage claims and impose fines and penalties on employers who fail to timely respond to its notices. The act also set aside money for enforcement, expands employee rights in additional ways, and applies to nearly every private employer in Colorado.

Here’s a rundown on some of the key changes.

• Administrative adjudication
• Early notice of claim optional
• Expanded claims and obligations
• New remedies, fines and penalties

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