Fired or punished for speaking up in Denver?
Losing your job, hours or standing after you reported misconduct, took protected leave or exercised a workplace right may be unlawful.
If your workplace rights were violated, you may be able to pursue compensation for lost pay or emotional harm, and hold your employer accountable.
Not sure whether it was "serious enough"? You can request a review even if you never reported it to HR or are still employed.
What wrongful termination can look like, and what the law calls it.
Not every unfair firing is unlawful. What matters is the real reason behind the decision, and whether that reason is one the law prohibits.
My reviews were fine for years. Then I raised a concern, and suddenly I was 'not a fit.'
The law calls it → potentially wrongful termination
- I was let go shortly after reporting a problem at work. The law calls it → possible retaliatory termination
- They didn't fire me outright, they made the job impossible until I quit. The law calls it → possible constructive discharge
- The stated reason for my firing doesn't match what actually happened. The law calls it → possible pretext for an unlawful termination
- My Denver employer built its layoff list the week after my harassment report, and I was on it. The law calls it → possible retaliation or retaliatory termination
These cover fired for an unlawful reason, fired after reporting misconduct, fired in breach of an agreement, pushed out instead of formally fired, retaliation for asserting workplace rights, in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations, not client accounts.
Denver's corporate offices, hospitals, aerospace employers, and construction firms cannot lawfully terminate workers for protected complaints, and Colorado's public-policy tort reaches firings for refusing unlawful instructions. The Colorado Civil Rights Division takes CADA retaliation charges for 300 days, the EEOC takes federal charges for 300 days, and the court claim generally allows two years. The agencies and the courthouse are all in the city.
What could taking action help you pursue?
Depending on the facts, legal action may help recover financial losses, address emotional harm, restore employment opportunities, or require workplace changes. Available remedies depend on the facts and applicable law; no outcome is guaranteed.
Recover what you lost
Lost pay, benefits, hours, and employment opportunities tied to the unlawful conduct.
Address the harm
Compensation for emotional distress may be available where the law provides for it.
Restore an opportunity
Some cases may involve reinstatement, promotion, corrected records, or another job-related remedy.
Create accountability
A resolution may include policy changes, training, or other corrective workplace action.
You do not need a perfect record, or even to know whether what happened was illegal, before asking what your options are.
Common concerns we hear from employees
I never reported it to HR.
You may still have legal options. Not reporting immediately does not automatically end your rights, although the specific facts can affect a claim.
I don't have screenshots or witnesses.
You do not need a complete evidence file before contacting us. We can help identify texts, emails, schedules, witnesses, and other evidence that may matter.
I still work there.
You can ask questions while still employed. Retaliating against a worker for opposing unlawful conduct or asserting protected rights may itself be unlawful.
My employer says I was fired for performance. Does that end the issue?
No. The stated reason is evidence, not the final answer. Timing, earlier reviews, shifting explanations, and how coworkers were treated can all show the real reason was retaliation.
Brian Denlinger
Shareholder · Admitted in Colorado
Brian Denlinger is licensed in Colorado and Washington. He represents employees in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage-and-hour matters.
Read Brian's full bio →Selected retaliation, discrimination, and harassment results.
$370K
Individual plaintiff · judgment includes fees and costs · Title VII retaliation judgment
Final
$23.5M
Financial-services workforce · 150 women · Sexual harassment settlement
Final · Craig Ackermann served as second chair (prior-firm experience)
$15M+
Apparel industry · individual plaintiff · Gender pay and promotion discrimination
Jury verdict, subject to post-trial proceedings, statutory limits, and appeal. Not a settlement or a collected recovery.
$1.3M
Construction workforce · 19 Black workers · Racial harassment
Final
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different; the value and outcome of your matter will depend on its specific facts.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal.
- 01
Talk with us
A short initial conversation about what happened and when.
- 02
We assess the record
We identify possible claims, deadlines and evidence that may matter.
- 03
If we take the case
We handle the filing strategy, negotiations and litigation.
Deadlines can depend on where and how you file
Colorado and federal claims may follow different filing routes. These are general time limits, not sequential steps.
Generally, to file a retaliation charge with the Colorado Civil Rights Division.
CCRD, Complaint Process ↗Often, to file a federal retaliation charge with the EEOC when state or local law also covers the claim.
EEOC, How to File a Charge ↗Commonly, for Colorado tort claims.
Other claims and exceptions may have different or shorter deadlines. Contact counsel promptly so the applicable dates can be reviewed.
CADA retaliation and Colorado wrongful discharge in violation of public policy
C.R.S. § 24-34-402(1)(e); Colorado public-policy tort
Primary source, C.R.S. § 24-34-402(1)(e); Colorado public-policy tort ↗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.
Deadlines and filing issues for workers in Denver.
- Denver's layoff cycles in tech and aerospace provide cover for retaliatory selection; the selection file is discoverable and usually decisive.
- Construction-industry retaliation often follows safety complaints, where federal OSHA windows are far shorter than Colorado's.
- The CCRD charge and the court tort preserve different remedies, and neither filing substitutes for the other.
- Equity-heavy compensation at Denver startups pressures fast signatures on releases while every window is still open.
- Hotline reports to out-of-state corporate parents are protected activity here, where the termination happened.
Where do you file a wrongful termination claim in Denver?
Colorado Civil Rights Division
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 online →EEOC Denver Field Office
The Denver Field Office covers Colorado, and it shares work with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, whose Denver office is a few blocks away. Most workers start online.
950 17th Street, Suite 300Denver, CO 80202
1-800-669-4000 EEOC Public Portal →
Denver District Court (2nd Judicial District)
City & County Building (civil matters)1437 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80202
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 filing path, step by step
- 1Fix the chronology in writing on day one; Front Range employers move fast on severance, and the record you keep now anchors every later step.
- 2File the CCRD charge within 300 days; the Division is Denver-based and intake is online.
- 3The EEOC's Denver Field Office handles the federal charge, due within 300 days through the Public Portal.
- 4Court claims are filed in Denver District Court or at the Alfred A. Arraj federal courthouse for District of Colorado cases, generally within two years.
- 5Compare severance value against the claims released before signing; Denver corporate packages are drafted to close every route at once.
Wrongful-termination information in other Colorado cities
- BoulderWrongful-termination information
- Colorado SpringsWrongful-termination information
- Fort CollinsWrongful-termination information
Asked by Denver workers.
I reported harassment at a Denver company and was included in the next layoff. How is that evaluated?
By the selection process: who chose the list, when it was built relative to your report, and how your metrics compared to those retained.
What is the deadline picture in Colorado?
Generally 300 days to charge with the CCRD or EEOC and about two years for public-policy discharge and related tort claims.
Does Colorado protect refusing an unlawful order?
Yes. Wrongful discharge in violation of public policy is recognized in Colorado and is filed in court rather than with an agency.
Who handles the firm's Denver cases, and in which courts?
Colorado matters are led by Brian Denlinger, admitted in Colorado. State claims file in Denver District Court; federal claims in the District of Colorado.