COLORADO · WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION LAW

Were you discriminated against at work in Colorado?

The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act may protect employees from workplace discrimination and retaliation. Deadlines, filing routes, and available remedies depend on what happened and which law applies.

You can request a review even if you are not sure whether the conduct legally qualifies, never reported it to HR, or still work for the employer.

Reviewed by Brian Denlinger, licensed to practice in Colorado

Updated August 2026

THIS MAY INCLUDE

Harassment or different treatment tied to race, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, national origin, or another protected trait
Being passed over, disciplined, or fired for a protected reason
A denied accommodation or protected leave issue
Retaliation after reporting discrimination

COLORADO

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Because of race, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, religion, national origin, or another protected trait.

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The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act prohibits workplace discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy, age (40+), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, and disability, at employers of all sizes, not just the 15-employee federal minimum. You generally have 300 days to file with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and unfairness alone is not enough: the treatment must be connected to a protected trait, an accommodation right, or a protected complaint.

Employment discrimination information by city in Colorado

Select your city for locally relevant filing information, agency routes, and a case review with your state already selected.

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Colorado at a glance.

Statute: Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), C.R.S. § 24-34-401 et seq.
Harassment covered at: CADA harassment protections apply to Colorado employers of all sizes, and the POWR Act's harassment standard is not limited by an employee-count threshold. Federal Title VII requires 15 or more employees.
Discrimination covered at: CADA's employment provisions apply to employers of all sizes in Colorado (C.R.S. § 24-34-401(3))
More detail
religious organizations not supported by taxation are excluded. Federal Title VII requires 15 or more employees.
State agency deadline: 300 days from the discriminatory or unfair employment practice to file a charge with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (extended from six months by HB22-1367). Do not rely on older six-month guidance.
Federal EEOC deadline: 300 days (Colorado is a deferral jurisdiction
More detail
charges are handled through the EEOC Denver Field Office and the CCRD under a worksharing arrangement)
Civil suit: CADA generally requires a CCRD charge and a notice of right to sue before a civil action
More detail
after the notice, suit generally must be filed within 90 days
After right-to-sue: 90 days from the CCRD or EEOC right-to-sue notice to file a civil action
Damages: Back pay, front pay, hiring, reinstatement, or promotion where appropriate
State agency: Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD)

Primary source, C.R.S. § 24-34-401 et seq. ↗

What may be available under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.

Back pay, front pay, hiring, reinstatement, or promotion where appropriate
Compensatory and punitive damages for intentional discrimination, subject to employer-size caps that mirror the federal schedule, with reduced caps for employers with fewer than 15 employees
Reasonable attorney's fees and costs for a prevailing plaintiff
Federal Title VII caps combined compensatory + punitive at $50K-$300K by employer size

SPECIAL PROVISIONS WORTH KNOWING

POWR Act (SB23-172, effective August 7, 2023): conduct no longer needs to satisfy the former 'severe or pervasive' formulation to constitute harassment under Colorado law, the statute defines harassment directly. Whether particular conduct qualifies still depends on the facts and the statutory elements; not every offensive act is actionable.
The POWR Act added marital status as a protected class and restricts nondisclosure provisions that would limit an employee's ability to discuss alleged discriminatory or unfair employment practices.
HB22-1367 (2022) extended the CCRD filing period from six months to 300 days, older six-month guidance is out of date.
CADA covers employers of all sizes, so workers at small Colorado employers who fall below the federal 15-employee threshold may still have a state claim.

Discrimination by protected ground in Colorado.

Coverage thresholds and deadlines differ by ground. Each one below is a separate claim, and an employer can violate more than one at once.

Race & national originAll employers · 300 days agency / 90 days after notice

Race and national-origin discrimination and harassment violate the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act at employers of all sizes. File with the Colorado Civil Rights Division within 300 days; after a right-to-sue notice you generally have 90 days to file a civil action. Compensatory and punitive damages for intentional discrimination follow employer-size caps.

DisabilityAll employers · 300 days agency / 90 days after notice

CADA requires Colorado employers to reasonably accommodate disabilities and bars disability discrimination and harassment at employers of all sizes. The CCRD filing window is 300 days. Colorado's coverage reaches small employers the federal ADA (15+ employees) does not.

Age (40+)All employers · 300 days agency / 90 days after notice

CADA protects workers 40 and older from age discrimination at Colorado employers of all sizes. File with the Colorado Civil Rights Division within 300 days of the discriminatory act. The federal ADEA route (20+ employees) runs alongside the state claim.

Religion & creedAll employers · 300 days agency / 90 days after notice

CADA requires reasonable accommodation of religious practices and bars religious discrimination and harassment at Colorado employers of all sizes. The CCRD window is 300 days, and CADA's administrative process generally must be exhausted before a lawsuit.

Sexual orientation, gender identity & expressionAll employers · 300 days agency / 90 days after notice

CADA expressly protects sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression at Colorado employers of all sizes, protections Colorado wrote into state statute. File with the Colorado Civil Rights Division within 300 days.

RetaliationAll employers · 300 days agency / 90 days after notice

CADA makes it unlawful to discharge, demote, harass, or otherwise discriminate against anyone for opposing discrimination, filing a charge, or participating in a proceeding (C.R.S. § 24-34-402(1)(e)). The CCRD filing window is 300 days from the retaliatory act.

Where to file in Colorado.

CCRD

Denver (statewide)

1560 Broadway, Suite 825
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 894-2997

The CCRD is part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies in Denver. An intake packet can be started online; the division serves the whole state from Denver.

File with CCRD ↗

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Think you have a Colorado workplace discrimination claim?

Deadlines are shorter than most people expect. Share what happened in about two minutes. The firm will review your submission and contact you about possible options and next steps. There is no cost or obligation to request a review.

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Guides for Colorado workplace discrimination.

The same conduct can break more than one law.

What happened to you in Colorado may also amount to a separate claim, with its own protections and its own deadlines. Each of these is worth checking before anything lapses.

Was it also sexual harassment? Was it also wrongful termination? Was it also wage & hour? Was it also equity compensation & severance?

Common questions.

Do I have to file with the CCRD before suing in Colorado?

Generally yes. CADA requires exhausting the Colorado Civil Rights Division's administrative process before filing a CADA lawsuit. The charge window is 300 days, and after a right-to-sue notice you generally have 90 days to file a civil action.

My employer has fewer than 15 employees. Am I still protected in Colorado?

Under state law, generally yes. CADA covers Colorado employers of all sizes, unlike federal Title VII and the ADA, which require 15 or more employees. Small-employer cases proceed under CADA through the CCRD.

Did Colorado's harassment standard change?

Yes. The 2023 POWR Act removed the former 'severe or pervasive' formulation for harassment claims under Colorado law and defined harassment in the statute. Whether particular conduct qualifies still depends on the facts and the statutory elements.