Last updated: 2026-08-23.
Statewide MandateHow Colorado's real statutory thresholds apply to specific employer profiles. Each section re-frames the state law above for one audience — the underlying figures never change, only the lens does.
For employers with fewer than 15 employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For employers with 50 or more employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant, café, and food-service operators: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including restaurants & food service, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores, shops, and chains: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including retail employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics, hospitals, and healthcare staffing: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including healthcare employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hr teams onboarding new employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "1 employee". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant and food-service operators with fewer than 15 employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small restaurants (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant groups and chains with 50 or more employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large restaurants & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores and shops with fewer than 15 employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small retail (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail chains with 50 or more employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large retail & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics and healthcare practices with fewer than 15 employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small healthcare (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hospitals and healthcare systems with 50 or more employees: Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. 3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora. Source: https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave; retrieved 2026-08-23.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large healthcare systems (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 1 employee, accrual 1 hour per 30 hours worked, cap 48 hours per year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statewide mandate | Yes |
| Employer threshold | 1 employee |
| Accrual rate | 1 hour per 30 hours worked |
| Max accrual / year | 48 hours per year |
| Paid or unpaid | paid |
| Carryover | Yes |
| Qualified reasons | Own/family illness, preventive care, safety, bereavement. |
| Effective date | Jan 1, 2022 |
| Official source | https://cdle.colorado.gov/paid-sick-leave ↗ |
These cities/counties in Colorado have their own sick leave rules that may exceed the state standard. Each links to a dedicated page with the full local breakdown.
| Locality | Employer threshold | Accrual | Max | Paid/Unpaid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 48 hours/year | paid |
| Boulder | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 48 hours/year | paid |
| Aurora | 1 employee | 1 hour per 30 hours | 48 hours/year | paid |
Colorado's paid sick leave (Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, CRS 8-13.3, effective Jan 1, 2022) exceeds the federal floor. There is no nationwide federal paid sick leave mandate for private employers; the only federal guarantee is the unpaid FMLA (12 weeks, employers 50 or more, 1,250-hour eligibility). Colorado requires every employer — regardless of size — to provide 1 hour per 30 hours up to 48 hours per year, accruing from day one and paid. Colorado also runs FAMLI, a state insurance program (0.88% of wages in 2026, split evenly) providing up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement for family and medical leave — a benefit with no federal equivalent.
Among its neighbors, Colorado is the most generous on the cap. Nebraska (HFWA, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 48-3801 et seq., effective Oct 1, 2025) requires 1 hour per 30 hours with tiered caps of 40 (11-19 employees) or 56 (20 or more) hours. New Mexico mandates paid sick leave (1 hour per 30 hours, 64-hour cap, all employers). Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Utah have no statewide paid sick leave law at all. Colorado's 48-hour cap for all employers is stricter than Nebraska's small-employer tier and the no-mandate states, and in line with New Mexico.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2020 (eff. 2022) | Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA, CRS 8-13.3) took effect Jan 1, 2022: 1 hour per 30 hours up to 48 hours per year for all employers. |
| 2023 | SB 23-017 expanded HFWA qualifying reasons to add bereavement and evacuation / weather-emergency leave. |
| 2026 | FAMLI premiums set at 0.88% of wages (split evenly employer / employee) for 2026; HFWA sick-leave rules otherwise unchanged. |
Employers in Colorado most often trip on the items below. Amounts are typical statutory ranges — confirm the current figure with the state labor department before acting.
| Violation | Typical penalty / fine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Failing to provide or pay accrued sick leave | The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) can order back pay, administrative penalties (fines up to $500 per violation), and face private suits with attorney fees and double damages. | Interfering with or denying the right to use leave triggers the strongest remedies. |
| Retaliation for using sick leave | HFWA prohibits retaliation; CDLE can order reinstatement and back pay. | Employers generally may not require medical documentation for absences under four consecutive workdays. |
| Blending sick and vacation into one PTO bank | If a combined PTO bank includes vacation, the entire balance may become payable at separation under Colorado wage law. | A 'use-it-or-lose-it' policy on a blended bank can create an unexpected payout liability. |
Use the button below to print or save a one-page compliance summary for Colorado. It includes the state law table and any local ordinances above.
Yes. Colorado requires paid sick leave for 1 employee. Accrual is 1 hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 48 hours per year, with carryover Yes.
Employees accrue 1 hour per 30 hours worked. The max accrual is 48 hours per year.
3 locality(-ies) have ordinances stricter than state law: Denver, Boulder, Aurora.
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