Like other states, Colorado has an overtime pay law stipulating that overtime hours should be paid at 1.5 times the employee’s regular rate. An employee who earns $20 per hour normally would get $30 per hour when working overtime, for example.
But when do you really deserve that overtime pay? The odds are high that you do.
Here’s when your employer owes you overtime
Under Colorado law, you should get a higher pay rate when working:
- More than 40 hours in a single week
- More than 12 hours during one day
- More than 12 hours consecutively, no matter which “day” it is
This is important because it means you could get overtime even if you don’t work a full workweek. Many workers assume they can only get extra pay if they break 40 hours during the week. But what if you’re scheduled for three 12-hour shifts (36 total hours) and then you go over by an hour each day? For working those 13-hour shifts, you would qualify for three hours of overtime pay, even though you are only at 39 hours for the week.
Your rights in a dispute
Naturally, disputes over the payment of these higher wages do arise. Maybe your employer made an honest mistake and doesn’t think you earned overtime pay when you really did. Maybe they’re trying to make you comp your time and work less the following week to get out of paying you what you are owed. These things do happen, and you absolutely need to know your rights as an employee during any wage and hour dispute. If you’re not sure what to do next, an experienced advocate can help.
