Colorado’s minimum wage is $12.00 in 2021, according to wage and hour laws.
State law requires that the minimum wage be increased annually for inflation, and the changes take place each year on January 1.
The 2021 minimum wage for tipped employees is $9.30
Employers must ensure their tipped employees are making the regular minimum wage rate of $11.10 with the combined tipped minimum wage and their tips. If they are not, the employer must make up the difference.
Employers are prohibited from taking control of an employee’s tips, but they may implement a mandatory tip pooling or sharing policy as long as they provide written notice to patrons, such as on a menu or receipt.
Employers are required to pay employees an overtime rate of 1 ½ time their regular pay when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek, more than 12 hours in a workday or 12 consecutive hours with no workday regard.
The federal overtime rule stipulates that the minimum salary requirement for administrative, professional, and executive exemptions is $684 per week, or $35,568 per year. Workers making at least this salary level may be eligible for overtime based on their job duties.
Employers in the retail and service, food and beverage, commercial support services, or health and medical industries must provide employees with a duty-free meal period of 30 minutes for every consecutive 5 hours worked.
The break may be unpaid unless an “on-duty” meal must be consumed, at which point the employee must be compensated.
Employers in the retail and service, food and beverage, commercial support services, or health and medical industries must provide employees with a 10-minute, paid break in the middle of the shift (if possible) for every 4 hours worked.
Employers in other industries are not required to provide a break, but if they choose to do so, breaks less than 20 minutes must be paid.