On October 31, 2023, Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, and the Colorado Departments of Labor and Employment (CDLE) and Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) announced as of July 1, 2023, no Colorado companies can pay people less than minimum wage because they have a disability.
The change is because of the bipartisan SB21-039 Elimination of Subminimum Wage Employment, which required an end to the practice by July 2025. The bill allowed the HCPF to accelerate the timeline for the elimination, and they did so two years earlier than required.
The 2023 Colorado minimum wage is $13.65 per hour (see this whitepaper for full details). Local minimum wages may be higher and are described in this whitepaper.
If you are an employer who paid subminimum wages, note the repeal of this statute allowing subminimum wages is retroactive to July 1 of this year. Payment of subminimum wages must stop immediately. If you are an affected employer or have questions about how to implement this change, please reach out to Employers Council at info@employerscouncil.org.
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