No specific laws identified for this ruling.
Colorado Supreme Court answered a certified question of law regarding the statute of limitations for wage claims under the Colorado Wage Claim Act. The Court held that terminated employees may seek unpaid wages from throughout their employment, but such claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations (three years for willful violations) running from when wages first became due and payable, limiting recovery to the two or three years immediately preceding termination.
C.A.R. 21.1— Certified Questions of State Law—Colorado Wage Claim Act—Statute of Limitations—Statutory Construction. The Supreme Court accepted jurisdiction under C.A.R. 21.1 to answer a certified question of law from the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado regarding how far back in time a terminated employee's unpaid wage claims can reach under the Colorado Wage Claim Act, CRS §§ 8-4-101 to -123. The Court held that, under the plain language of CRS § 8-4-109, a terminated employee may seek any wages or compensation that were unpaid at the time of termination however, the right to seek such wages or compensation is subject to the statute of limitations found in CRS § 8-4-122. That statute of limitations begins to run when the wages or compensation first become due and payable and thus limits a terminated employee to claims for the two years (three for willful violations) immediately preceding termination.
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