Denver Labor

What We Do

Denver Labor, a division of the Auditor’s Office, promotes lawful employment and wage compliance while providing exceptional labor, wage, and hourly enforcement. Denver Labor audits 100% of certified payrolls and investigates 100% of wage complaints.

We educate workers, businesses, and the community and enforce Denver’s wage and hour laws fairly and thoroughly, using the most effective tools and strategies available. We deter wage theft, reduce the harms of poverty, and expand economic justice through comprehensive wage and hour enforcement and education.

Civil Wage Theft in Denver

Wage theft is the failure to pay workers the full wages to which they are legally entitled. On Jan. 9, 2023, the Denver City Council passed the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance, which created new procedures and penalties regarding civil wage theft and vested responsibility for implementation and enforcement with the Denver Auditor’s Office.

Restitution Stories

Our staff always works hard to get wages recovered for workers protected by the Prevailing Wage, Minimum Wage, and Civil Wage Theft ordinances. In 2022, Denver Labor recovered more than $1 million for underpaid workers. In 2023, the team recovered $2,043,086, and so far year Denver Labor has already helped return $1,228,505 for workers in Denver. You can read some of the restitution stories here.

Wages recovered by Denver Labor as of August 4, 2023.

How Denver Labor Works

Denver Labor is a division of Denver Auditor's Office and enforces Prevailing Wage, Davis-Bacon Act, Minimum Wage, and Civil Wage Theft.

Denver Wage Laws

Citywide Minimum Wage

All work performed in Denver.
All workers, tip credit applies to food and beverage workers.
Minimum increases annually on January 1.
Complaints may be anonymous.

Civil Wage Theft

Applies to all persons who work in Denver.
Employers must ensure all workers performing work within Denver are paid all earned and lawful wages.
Complaints can be anonymous and must be submitted within three years of the alleged civil wage theft.

Prevailing Wage

Applies to all work performed on City of Denver property or using city dollars.
Covers contractors and subcontractors for construction, improvement, repair, maintenance, demolition, or janitorial work.
See Prevailing Wage for updated wage rates.

100% of payrolls must be submitted and will be reviewed by our analysts.

Transcript of Denver Labor Organizational Chart in 2023.(PDF, 72KB)
(PDF, 72KB)

Denver Wage Rates Timeline

Wage rates timeline for Denver's citywide minimum wage.

Transcript Denver Wages Timeline(PDF, 97KB)

Receiving Complaints

How To Submit

Complaints can be made by:

Email: wagecomplaints@denvergov.org
Web form:
- Wage complaint form (in English) | Formulario de queja salarial (en español)
- Prevailing wage complaint form (in English) | Formulario de queja de salario prevaleciente (en español)
Phone: 720-913-WAGE (9243)
In person

All complaints must be made in writing. We will assist anyone making a complaint in completing the necessary forms.

Who Can Submit

Complaints can be made by:

Employees
A third-party
- Family/Friends
- Attorney
- Community Resource
- Labor organization
Anonymous

However, we encourage any party making a complaint to share contact information. We make every effort to keep complainant’s information confidentiality. Communication between the complainant and the investigator can dramatically assist an investigation.

What We Need

Employer's name
Location where the work was performed
A statement explaining the alleged violation

The investigator assigned to the complaint may contact a complainant for additional information or documentation. Denver Labor will not ask and accept information related to a party’s citizenship or immigration status. The more information the complainant can provide, the greater the likelihood of a successful investigation.