Colorado Overtime Pay Law

Employers in Colorado must conform with these state rules regarding overtime pay for employees.

In Colorado, overtime must be paid at a rate of one and one-half times an employee's regular rate of pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek and/or for any work in excess of 12 hours per workday.

The standards for hospital and nursing home employees are 80 hours in 14 consecutive days or eight hours in a day.

Exemptions from General Provisions

Employees exempt from minimum wage provisions are exempt from overtime. Also exempt from overtime are:

• salespersons, parts persons and mechanics employed by automobile, truck, or farm implement (retail) dealers and salespersons employed by trailer, aircraft and boat (retail) dealers
• sales employees of retail or service industries paid on a commission basis, provided that 50% of their total earnings in a pay period are derived from commission sales and their regular rate of pay is at least 1 1/2 times the minimum wage
• employees of the ski industry performing duties directly related to ski area operations for downhill skiing or snow boarding and those employees engaged in providing food and beverage services on-mountain locations are exempt from the 40 hour overtime requirement; however, the 1 1/2 overtime rate for all hours worked in excess of 12 in a workday does apply
• employees of the medical transportation industry who are scheduled to work 24 hour shifts are exempt from the 12 hour overtime requirement provided they receive overtime wages for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per workweek