Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act Amendments (“HFWA”)

Governor Polis signed into law amendments to Colorado’s Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (“HFWA”), effective August 7, 2023. The amendments provide additional reasons an employee may use paid sick leave, including:

• to grieve, attend funeral services or a memorial, or deal with financial and legal matters that arise after the death of a family member;
• to care for a family member whose school or place of care has been closed due to inclement weather, loss of power, loss of heating, loss of water, or other unexpected events; or
• to evacuate the employee’s place of residence due to inclement weather, loss of power, loss of heating, loss of water, or other unexpected events.

In response to these amendments, employers should:

• Update workplace posters with the new versions provided by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment;
• Revise policies and handbook provisions to reflect the new permissible uses for HFWA leave;
• Provide updated notice to employees with the revisions to the HFWA.

If you would like assistance advising human resource and management teams or updating policies and procedures, please reach out to our Labor and Employment team.