Colorado Job Termination

According to the Colorado Department of Labor, when an employer terminates your job in Colorado, your earned wages are due and payable immediately, unless the accounting department is not operational. In that case, wages due must be available for payment no more than 6 hours after the department is operational. When an employee quits, resigns, or otherwise terminates the job at their own discretion, earned wages are due on the next regular payday.

If your employer does not pay you when payment is due by law, you must send a "demand for payment" stating total wages owed, informing the employer that he has 10 days to pay the amount due, and that he will be taken to court and sued for 1 and 1/2 times the amount owed or 10 days wages, whichever is greater, as is allowed by Colorado law. The letter must be sent by certified mail. If your employer still does not pay you the wages he owes you, you can file in court. The "demand for payment" forms and instructions are available through the Consumer Affairs Office.