Fired or punished for speaking up in Colorado?
The CADA retaliation and Colorado wrongful discharge in violation of public policy may protect employees from retaliation and wrongful termination. 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.
Updated August 2026
- Fired, demoted, scheduled less, or disciplined after reporting a workplace issue
- Punished after requesting leave or an accommodation
- Fired for refusing unlawful conduct
- Terminated for a reason protected by state or federal law
Colorado is an at-will state, but a firing may be unlawful when it is connected to discrimination, a protected complaint, protected leave, or a refusal to break the law. CADA retaliation claims run through the Colorado Civil Rights Division with a 300-day window; public-policy wrongful-discharge claims are tort claims generally subject to a 2-year period. Which deadline applies depends on the theory, not one blanket number.
Wrongful-termination information by city in Colorado
Select your city for locally relevant filing information, agency routes, and a case review with your state already selected.
- BoulderWrongful-termination information
- Colorado SpringsWrongful-termination information
- DenverWrongful-termination information
- Fort CollinsWrongful-termination information
Colorado at a glance.
- Governing law
- CADA retaliation and Colorado wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, C.R.S. § 24-34-402(1)(e)
More detail
Colorado public-policy tort - Coverage
- CADA retaliation covers Colorado employers of all sizes.
More detail
The common-law public-policy tort does not use an employee-count threshold. - State retaliation charge
- 300 days from the retaliatory act to file a charge with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (HB22-1367 extended the window from six months).
- Federal EEOC retaliation charge
- 300 days for a federal retaliation charge because Colorado is a deferral jurisdiction.
- Court claim
- Colorado wrongful-discharge-in-violation-of-public-policy claims are tort claims generally subject to Colorado's 2-year tort period (C.R.S. § 13-80-102). Which period applies depends on the legal theory behind the firing.
- Damages
- CADA compensatory and punitive damages follow employer-size caps that mirror the federal schedule, with reduced caps for employers under 15 employees
More detail
tort remedies are governed by tort law, not that schedule. - State retaliation agency
- Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD)
What may be available under Colorado law on retaliation and wrongful termination.
- Back pay, lost benefits, and reinstatement or front pay where available.
- Compensatory and punitive damages on a CADA retaliation claim, subject to employer-size caps.
- Tort remedies on a public-policy wrongful-discharge claim depend on the claim and proof.
- Reasonable attorney's fees and costs on a successful CADA claim.
- C.R.S. § 24-34-402(1)(e) protects opposition to practices CADA forbids and participation in covered proceedings.
- Colorado recognizes a wrongful-discharge tort for terminations that contravene a clear mandate of public policy, commonly refusing to perform an illegal act, exercising a legal right, or reporting unlawful conduct.
- Colorado is an at-will state, but at-will employment does not permit firings that are discriminatory, retaliatory, or contrary to public policy.
- Different theories carry different deadlines: the CCRD route is 300 days, while tort claims generally use the 2-year period, route-specific deadlines matter more than any single number.
Where to file in Colorado.
Denver (statewide)
1560 Broadway, Suite 825Denver, CO 80202
(303) 894-2997
Public-policy wrongful-discharge lawsuit
The Colorado public-policy tort proceeds directly in court without a CCRD charge. A CADA retaliation claim runs through the CCRD/EEOC route instead, the two paths have different deadlines.
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 ↗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.
Guides for Colorado wrongful termination.
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.
Common questions.
Colorado is at-will, can I still have a wrongful-termination case?
Possibly. At-will employment means an employer can fire without cause, but not for an unlawful reason. Firings connected to discrimination, harassment reporting, wage complaints, protected leave, accommodation requests, safety reporting, or refusing to break the law may support a claim.
Is unemployment the same as a wrongful-termination claim?
No. Unemployment benefits run through the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment on a separate track. You can pursue unemployment benefits and still evaluate a wrongful-termination claim.