2025 Colorado Employment Law Shake-Up: What Small Businesses Need to Know and Do

The 2025 legislative session in Colorado delivered what can only be described as a seismic shift for small businesses. With eight major state bills signed into law—and several federal rollbacks implemented under the Trump administration—Colorado employers are now operating in a dramatically different legal landscape.

These changes come with real implications: increased costs (ranging from $3,000 to $50,000+ annually), added administrative burden, and personal risk exposure for business owners. If you own or operate a business in Colorado, it’s time to assess, adapt, and act. Below is a breakdown of the most impactful legislation and what small businesses need to do now to stay compliant and protected.

Personal Liability for Wage Violations (HB25-1001)

Arguably the most dramatic change this year is the introduction of personal liability for wage theft. Under HB25-1001, effective August 6, 2025, any busi...

Trump’s Executive Orders on DEI: What Small Businesses Need to Know

The recent executive orders issued by President Trump regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs have sparked significant discussion across industries, including among small business owners. These orders seek to reshape workplace policies by emphasizing merit-based hiring and eliminating what the administration identifies as potential discriminatory practices associated with DEI initiatives.

What the Executive Orders Say

The Trump administration has framed these executive orders as a means to reinforce workplace fairness and opportunity by focusing on hard work, merit, and equality. According to the administration, DEI programs—when implemented improperly—can create division rather than unity and may contribute to workplace discrimination rather than eliminating it. The administration has explicitly stated its intent to strengthen the workplace by ensuring that civil rights laws are properly enforced ...

A few aspects of WFH you may not have thought about... and how to address them.

As we have shifted our way out of the pandemic, the long-term results are becoming clearly identified. Many of us have known for a while that remote work will be one of the lasting impacts of COVID-19... and our newfound love of the QR code (but this new love shall be left for another blog). This has caused employers to implement remote employee policies for both long-term and short-term arrangements.  Now that we are seeing trends and expanded complexities, it is important for employers to understand and update policies and best practices in order to protect their employees and business from any legal or financial repercussions.

When creating a remote work policy, it’s important to address state and federal laws that may affect your organization. Employers must determine whether they need to comply with state labor laws such as minimum wage and overtime requirements, workers’ compensation laws, or oth...

When to Use an Outside Investigator & Choosing an Outside Investigator

By Gene R. Thornton, Esq.  *

Whenever an employer receives a complaint of sexual harassment or other workplace misconduct, a prompt, thorough, and fair investigation should be conducted.  Following the investigation, appropriate remedial measures should be implemented.  That much is basic employment law and human resource management.  But who should perform the investigation?  Should it be done by the employer’s HR manager, office manager or safety officer, if any?  Should it be done by the accused employee’s supervisor?  Or should an outside investigator be retained and, if so, what qualifications should be sought in the outside investigator.

Simple Investigations—Outside Investigator Probably Not Needed

If the allegations concern performance issues, employee relations, then the employer can probably do without an outside investigator.  It will probably be fairly easy to determine what more likely than not o...