Wages Due Upon Separation

Under Colorado law, when an employee quits, all wages are due and payable on the next regular payday.

When an employer terminates an employee, the wages are due and payable immediately. However, if the employer’s accounting unit is not regularly scheduled to be operational at that time, then the wages must be made available to the terminated employee within six hours after the start of such unit’s next regular workday (or within twenty-four hours after the start of such unit’s next regular work day, if the accounting unit is located off the work site).

If an employer refuses to timely pay wages to a separated employee, then the former employee or their agent may make a proper written demand for payment of wages. If the former employer then fails to mail (or direct deposit) the wages to the employee, then the employer may be liable for not only the unpaid wages but also a statutory penalty and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.