Small Employer Representation

Colorado Employer – Defense and Representation

Small employers face challenges and potential liability because of the numerous federal and state laws governing employers and the wide range of legal claims and remedies available to employees.

Murray Law welcomes the opportunity to provide experienced counsel and representation to small employers.

Representation

This practice provides experienced counsel and representation to employers in these proceedings and actions.

• Analysis/Evaluation: employee requests, grievances, charges, or complaints.
• Employer Defense: Responding to charges submitted to the employer or filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Colorado Civil Rights Division, or other government agency.
• Federal, State, and Local Government Agency: Hearings & Investigations
• Federal and State Court: Civil Actions-Litigation-Trials
• Arbitration & Mediation & Dispute Resolution

Discrimination – Harassment – Retaliation Law

An employer’s number of employees determines the coverage of employment laws and the employer’s potential liability for damages under the law.

Federal and Colorado laws prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation for engaging in protected activity.

In Colorado, virtually every employer is prohibited from engaging in discrimination and retaliation because the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act applies to employers having one or more employees.

Federal and Colorado law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, transgender status, age, disability, and religion.

The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act also protects against discrimination against victims of domestic abuse, based on an employee’s participation in lawful off-duty activities, or based on person’s marital status.

Equal Pay

Federal and Colorado law prohibits government agency employers from engaging in wage discrimination based on sex.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963, a federal law, prohibits discrimination because of sex for equal work. This law applies to nearly all private-sector employers regardless of the number of employees.

On January 1, 2021, the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act becomes effective. All employers, public and private, within Colorado must comply with the law.

The Colorado Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from paying an employee of one sex, including gender identity, less than the rate paid to an employee of another sex when the two employees perform substantially similar work.

Harassment

Harassment based on a person’s protected status is unlawful discrimination. An employer may not subject an employee to harassment or a hostile work environment because of the person’s protected status, i.e., sex.

Retaliation

Federal and Colorado law prohibits retaliatory actions in every phase of the employee-employer relationship.

Employees are protected from their employer’s retaliatory actions because they engaged in protected activity, such as filing a charge of discrimination, opposing a discriminatory act, or serving as a witness in a discrimination investigation.

Employer Actions

An employer cannot discriminate against an individual concerning hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or employment condition.

Conclusion

Murray Law welcomes the opportunity to counsel and represent small employers. Please contact Murray Law at 720-600-6642.