Hernandez v. Ray Domenico Farms, Inc.

**What Happened** A worker named Hernandez sued Ray Domenico Farms for unpaid wages after being fired. The case reached the Colorado Supreme Court because a federal judge needed clarification on Colorado's wage laws—specifically, how far back in time fired workers can go to collect unpaid wages they're owed. **What the Court Decided** The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that terminated employees can seek unpaid wages from their entire time working for an employer, but there are strict time limits. Workers must file their claims within two years of when the unpaid wages were first due (or three years if the employer willfully violated wage laws). This means workers can typically only recover wages from the two or three years immediately before they were fired, even if they were underpaid for longer. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies an important deadline for Colorado workers pursuing wage theft claims. If you believe your employer owes you money for unpaid wages, overtime, or other compensation, you need to act quickly after being fired. Waiting too long could cost you the right to recover older unpaid wages, even if you have proof your employer cheated you out of money earlier in your employment.