Many people in Colorado have been the victim of workplace retaliation and discrimination. Although these are illegal activities, they still continue to happen in workplaces all over the state. A recent bill that updates Colorado’s anti-discrimination statute is making its way through the legislature.
The Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights Act recently passed to the appropriations committee. There are several things this bill aims to do in regards to protections against discriminatory employment practices.
- Allows an employment discrimination claim to be brought to any court in the county or jurisdiction where the alleged discriminatory practice occurred without going through administrative proceedings. The victim will need to file a charge with the Colorado civil rights commission or serve a written demand for relief to their employer and allows the employer 14 days to respond.
- Expands definition of employee to include domestic workers, independent contractors, and individuals who offer services without pay.
- Adds new definitions of caregiver, care recipient, child, minor child, harassment, hostile work environment and independent contractor.
- Expands time limit to file a charge with the commission from 6 months to 300 days.
- Prohibits certain preemployment medical examinations.
- Protects workers based on their marital status or caregiver status.
- And additional protections.
A legal professional who is skilled in employment law understands how traumatic it can be to be the victim of workplace harassment or retaliation. They can offer their clients legal advice in the most complicated cases. They can review their client’s claims and offer them advice as to what their next steps should be. They understand the law is constantly changing and will make sure their client’s legal rights are protected.