During a bustling legislative session in Colorado this year, Governor Jared Polis enacted over 470 new bills. Notably among these are four laws which promise to bring about sweeping alterations to the existing employment landscape within the state.
The Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights (POWR) Act, the Job Application Fairness Act (JAFA), and amendments to both the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplace Act, as well as the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, are seen as the frontrunners in this barrage of legislations.
The POWR Act, for instance, extends workplace protections – such as freedom from discrimination, harassment and retaliation – to independent contractors, a pool of workers largely overlooked in the past by similar protection laws. This Act also introduces stiffer penalties for employers found guilty of unlawfully interfering with the rights of workers to engage in lawful job-related activities.
The JAFA, on the other hand, prohibits employers from requesting credit information about applicants or employees unless it’s a bona fide occupational requirement. This law, aimed at enhancing fairness in job applications, will help in stemming out bias, ensuring that job-seekers and employees are not discriminated against on the basis of their financial history or status.
Similarly, the amendments to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplace Act and the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act seek to further reinforce fairness and equity in the workplace. The former now includes impending public health emergencies as grounds for paid sick leave, while the latter strives to ensure that remote workers are not paid less compared to non-remote workers doing the same job.
These new laws not only transform the employment landscape in Colorado but also serve as a potential blueprint for other states seeking to enhance workplace fairness and equity.
For further understanding of these important legislative changes, you may want to peruse the original report, available here.