Colorado paid sick leave (HFWA) rules for employers

“Starting January 1, 2021, for employers with 16 or more employees, and starting January 1, 2022, for all employers, the act requires employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees, accrued at one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 48 hours per year.”

Sick leave policy template

What it means for Colorado employers

Colorado's number is 48, not the 40 used in many states, and it shows up three times: the yearly accrual stops at 48 hours, up to 48 unused hours carry forward into the next year, and the employer does not have to allow more than 48 hours of use in a year (SB20-205 bill summary). (Colorado General Assembly, SB20-205 (Healthy Families and Workplaces Act) bill summary)

The Division of Labor Standards and Statistics rules (7 CCR 1103-7, Rule 3.5.1) spell out what counts as hours worked for accrual: all time worked under the COMPS Order, with regular and overtime hours counting the same. An overtime-exempt employee accrues on normal hours, up to 40 a week. For fee-for-service workers whose hours are not tracked, the employer uses its best reasonable estimate; higher education adjunct faculty paid per course are treated as working three hours for each in-class hour. (7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026))

How many hours a sick day uses is also defined (Rule 3.5.2): the hours the employer reasonably expected the person to work in that period, based on the regular schedule, or, if that cannot be predicted, average hours over the most recent 30 calendar days of work. For shifts of indeterminate length, the employer may use the hours a replacement actually worked in that shift. (7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026))

HFWA also has a second layer that sits on top of normal accrual: when a public health emergency is declared, employers must immediately give each employee a one-time supplement of additional paid leave (Rule 3.5.1(C)). Employers should read the division's rule when an emergency is declared rather than rely on a fixed number. (7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026))

Exceptions and special cases

• Documentation: an employer may ask for reasonable documentation only when leave lasts four or more consecutive work days, meaning days the employee would normally have worked, not calendar days (Rule 3.5.6). It may not ask for details of the condition, and may not require documentation for leave related to a public health emergency. (7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026))
• Requests: employees may ask for leave orally or in writing, including by email or text message, and the employer cannot restrict them from any method that effectively notifies it (Rule 3.5.5). For foreseeable leave, a written policy may set reasonable notice procedures. (7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026))
• A PTO bank can replace HFWA leave only if it gives at least as much leave, for all the same purposes, under conditions no stricter than HFWA on accrual, use, payment, carryover, notice and documentation. If an employee spends all PTO on vacation, no extra HFWA leave is owed, except the public health emergency supplement. (7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026))

Worked examples

A line cook who works 45 hours a week

All 45 hours count, overtime included, so the cook earns 1.5 hours of leave a week. The 48-hour cap is reached after 1,440 hours worked, which is 32 weeks at that schedule. (Colorado General Assembly, SB20-205 (Healthy Families and Workplaces Act) bill summary)

A salaried office manager

The manager is overtime-exempt and normally works 50 hours. Accrual is based on no more than 40 hours a week, so 1.33 hours a week, reaching 48 hours after 36 weeks. (7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026))

Three sick days in a row

An employee who works Monday to Friday is out Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That is three consecutive work days, so the employer cannot require documentation. A fourth missed work day (Friday) would allow a request for reasonable documentation. (7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026))

How to act on it

Paid sick leave: Colorado and neighboring states

Each state links to its rulebook. Only rules we verified are shown.

Questions about Colorado paid sick leave rules

The verified rules behind this page (3)

• Accrual: Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA): employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. (Colorado General Assembly, SB20-205 (Healthy Families and Workplaces Act) bill summary; verified Sep 24, 2026)
• Annual cap: Employees accrue up to 48 hours of HFWA paid sick leave per year (employers may provide more). (Colorado General Assembly, SB20-205 (Healthy Families and Workplaces Act) bill summary; verified Sep 24, 2026)
• Effective date: HFWA paid sick leave began to accrue on January 1, 2021 for employers with 16 or more employees, and has applied to all employers since January 1, 2022. (Colorado General Assembly, SB20-205 (Healthy Families and Workplaces Act) bill summary; verified Sep 24, 2026)

Sources (2)

• Colorado General Assembly, SB20-205 (Healthy Families and Workplaces Act) bill summary
• 7 CCR 1103-7, Colorado Wage Protection Rules (effective February 1, 2026)

Checked Sep 24, 2026 · How we verify every rule · Report an error

Where this goes next

StateColorado employer rulebookAll 51 statesPaid sick leave laws by stateAlso in ColoradoColorado break rulesStep by stepHow to hire your first employee