Colorado has enacted the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (SB20-205) (HFWA) to require employers to provide employees with up to six days, or up to 48 hours, of earned paid sick leave.

Employers with at least 16 employees must begin providing earned paid sick leave on January 1, 2021. All employers, regardless of size, must begin providing earned paid sick leave effective January 1, 2022.

Effective immediately, the HFWA requires that employers, regardless of size, comply with the federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which stays in effect until December 31, 2020. The Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act provides up to 80 hours of sick leave for COVID-19-related reasons. The HFWA does not require employers to comply with the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act of the FFCRA, which provides 12 weeks of pay to care for children whose school or place of care is closed, or childcare provider is unavailable, because of COVID-19-related reasons.  Read more.