Effective 8:00 am on March 17 all Colorado bars and restaurants to close internal seating
On March 15, Governor Polis held a press conference where he announced an order allowing restaurants and bars to continue serving meals for take-out and delivery only, but not available for in-person dining. This order will stay in place for 30 days and stay in affect until May 11. To read more about the order and the press conference, click here for a Colorado Public Radio article.
Colorado to ban natural hair discrimination:
On March 6, Governor Polis signed the CROWN Act in Colorado. CROWN, or “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2020,” bans employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of their natural hair. This includes hair texture, hair type, or hairstyles commonly or historically associated with race, such as braids, locs, twists, tight coils, curls, cornrows, Bantu knots, afros, and headwraps. The bill discusses historical discrimination on the basis of a person’s hair, commonly associated with people of African, Jewish, Latinx, and Native American descent. Legislators sought to address systemic deprivation of employment opportunities due to race. Colorado joins California, New York, New Jersey and Virginia in banning natural hair discrimination.
You can read the full text of the bill here: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2020a_1048_signed.pdf
Colorado Senate hears “Secure Savings” bill:
After creating a general assembly to study the costs of insufficient retirement savings, the Colorado Senate created the “Secure Savings” bill. This bill, if adopted, would automatically enroll workers whose employers do not offer a retirement plan into an IRA, with the option to opt out. Additionally, workers can choose what percentage of their income they want to contribute to a retirement plan. The bill called for a study on the financial burden of social safety net and found it could save Colorado around $10 billion over the next 15 years, according to an article by the Denver Post. Employers would bear zero cost if the program is implemented.
CU Boulder and Google tell students and staff to stay home as Coronavirus concerns increase:
Both CU Boulder and Google’s Boulder campus told its many staff and students to work and study from home in effort to combat a coronavirus spread.
The University of Colorado Boulder announced on March 11 that it will cancel in person classes for the rest of the semester, and instead teach courses online. However, the campus will remain open. CU encourages all students and staff to learn and work remotely as much as possible. The University will also halt staff travel plans and study abroad programs, according to the Colorado Sun.
In an article from the Denver Post, Google says: “Our goal is to reduce the density of people in offices, which expert advice suggests may slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the burden on the local community and health resources. Our offices remain open to employees whose roles require they come in.” Google has created a fund to allow temporary employees and vendors to take paid sick leave if they have potential symptoms of coronavirus or can’t work because they are quarantined.
As Coronavirus concerns increase, it is important to reevaluate safety, illness, and logistical measures at your workplace. See our past legal update on the Coronavirus here: https://ilgdenver.com/2020/02/legal-updates-february-2020/.