New Colorado Law Deems Failure to Pay Wages a Theft

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) May 16 signed a law reclassifying failure to pay wages as theft.

Under the measure (H.B. 1267), refusing to pay a wage claim, falsely denying a wage claim with the intent to not pay, or underpaying the claim to harass or defraud the person owed the wage is classified as a theft that could be treated as a petty offense, misdemeanor, or felony when the amount of unpaid wages exceeds $2,000. It will take effect Jan. 1, 2020.

The law also makes paying less than the minimum wage an unclassified misdemeanor.

The current ...