Hours worked - Colorado

Summary of differences between federal and state regulations

The federal law does not spell out actual hours that must be worked in a work day. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the workweek ordinarily includes all the time during which an employee is required to be:

• On the employer's premises,
• On duty, or
• At a prescribed work place.

Colorado law defines hours worked as the time when the employee is subject to the control of the employer.  If employees are required to remain at the place of employment while waiting for a decision on a job assignment or when to begin work, this is considered time worked and that time must be compensated. The state minimum wage order defines “time worked” and addresses waiting time, travel time, and sleeping time.

State

Contact

Colorado Department of Labor and Employment—Labor Standards Office

Regulations

Colorado Minimum Wage Orders (see Fact Sheets at www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/minimumwage)

Federal

Contact

The Department of Labor is the federal agency that monitors hours worked.

Regulations

U.S. labor regulations for hours worked can be found in CFR 29:

• Part 785 Hours Worked
• Part 778 Overtime Compensation