Workplace Violations Complaints For City Employees

These rules are enacted to provide notice of the presumptions, procedures, and requirements employed by the Auditor when enforcing D.R.M.C. § 18-861, and to clarify Denver law and Denver Labor’s interpretations of the rights it enforces. These rules are meant to ensure consistent compliance and provide guidance to parties.

(PDF, 351KB)

Download the Unfair Labor Practices Rules 2026(PDF, 351KB)

In 2025, the Denver City Council passed an amendment to the Unfair Labor Practices Ordinance, which adds protections for workers with the City and County of Denver against unfair labor practices. Workers can now file a complaint with the Auditor's Office’s and request an investigation into alleged unfair labor practices. A copy of the ordinance is online. The Auditor's Office’s Denver Labor Division may investigate unfair labor practice complaints or authorize workers to proceed with an action in district court.

Within one year of the alleged violation, Denver Labor may investigate complaints regarding the following issues:

• Deterring or discouraging employees or applicants or retaliating against any employee or other person for forming, joining, supporting, participating in, or being a member or representative of an employee organization; for participating or providing information in an election, collective bargaining, mediation, arbitration, or any other similar proceeding; for expressing views regarding employee representation, collective bargaining, workplace issues, or the rights granted to employees in the Unfair Labor Practices ordinance; for authorizing payroll deductions for employee organization dues or other voluntary contributions; or for associating with anyone engaged in such activities, by taking any action that might deter a reasonable employee from engaging in such activities in the future.
  
  
• Disclosing the identities or private information of employees within the bargaining unit; other than to a bargaining agent, petitioner, or intervenor for a proposed or certified bargaining unit to which the employee belongs, and unless otherwise required by law.
  
  
• Prohibiting employees from communicating with one another and with employee organization representatives concerning organization, representation, workplace issues, the collective bargaining process, and the business and programs of certified employee organizations by email, text, other electronic communications, telephone, paper documents, and other means of communication subject to reasonable restrictions, provided that employee communications shall not be disruptive of work nor create substantial cost to the city.
  
  
• Failing to permit an employee in a bargaining unit to be represented by the bargaining agent at any examination of the employee in connection with a workplace-related investigation if (a) the employee reasonably believes that the examination may result in an adverse employment action against the employee and (b) the employee requests representation.
  
  
• Otherwise failing to comply with the requirements of the Unfair Labor Practices Ordinance in a manner that materially interferes with the processes described in the Unfair Labor Practices Ordinance or with the ability of an employee or employee organization to participate in them.
  
  
• An employee organization and anyone acting on its behalf shall not restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of rights guaranteed in Unfair Labor Practices Ordinance.
  
  
• An employee organization and anyone acting on its behalf shall not willfully or deliberately fail to fairly represent a city employee who is in a bargaining unit exclusively represented by the employee organization in the negotiation or enforcement of the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
  
  
• An employee organization and anyone acting on its behalf shall not otherwise fail to comply with the requirements of the Unfair Labor Practices Ordinance in a manner that materially interferes with the processes described in the ordinance or with the ability of an employee or employee organization to participate in them.