What a week pays in Colorado
Take a 35-hour week with a 14-hour Monday and a 13-hour Tuesday, at $20 an hour. Under Colorado rules that is 32 regular hours and 3 hours of overtime, for $730.00.
Federal rules alone would pay $700.00, with 0 hours of overtime. The state rule adds $30.00 to the week.
Who the rule covers
Overtime is also owed for work beyond 12 consecutive hours regardless of when the workday starts or ends. The employer pays whichever of the three calculations (over 40 per workweek, over 12 per workday, over 12 consecutive hours) gives the greater amount. A workday is a consecutive 24-hour period starting at the same hour each day.
- The rules come from COMPS Order #40, in effect since February 1, 2026.
- A workday is a consecutive 24-hour period that starts at the same time each day.
- Agricultural employees of agricultural employers earn overtime after 48 hours a week.
How federal law fits in
The FLSA applies in every state: a covered, non-exempt employee earns at least 1.5 times the regular rate for each hour over 40 in a workweek. Where a state rule and the federal rule both apply, the employee gets whichever pays more for each hour, never both. At $20.00 an hour, federal overtime is $30.00 an hour.
Overtime that only Colorado law requires does not count toward the federal deduction for qualified overtime; only the premium on hours over 40 in a week does. The no tax on overtime calculator works out that deduction.
Questions people ask
What is the overtime law in Colorado?
Colorado requires 1.5 times the regular rate for work over 40 hours in a workweek, over 12 hours in a workday, or over 12 consecutive hours, whichever pays more.
Does Colorado have daily overtime?
Yes. Over 12 hours in a workday or 12 consecutive hours at 1.5×.
Is double time required in Colorado?
No. Colorado law does not require double time. It is paid only when an employer policy or a union contract provides for it.
Can a Colorado employer average hours over two weeks?
Not for federal overtime. Each workweek stands alone under the FLSA, so 30 hours one week and 50 the next means 10 hours of overtime in the second week, even when both are paid together.