Restitution Stories

In 2023, Denver Labor opened a minimum wage case after a waitress at Las Margs Tavern, a restaurant in the City and County of Denver, reported being paid less than Denver’s minimum wage in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Our analysts reviewed payroll records for all employees and confirmed underpayment during that period.

The case closed with our team recovering $77,969 in restitution for 14 workers.

Denver Labor received a complaint from a worker who had not been paid for two weeks of work performed in the City and County of Denver. The worker was employed by a security company, American Automation.

Denver Labor sent a 14-day demand for wages, providing the employer with an opportunity to resolve the issue. The company responded promptly and worked cooperatively with Denver Labor to investigate and correct the unpaid wages.

As a result of the employer’s cooperation, Denver Labor successfully recovered $760 in unpaid wages on behalf of the worker.

Our office received a wage theft complaint alleging that a Denver shuttle company, Rocky Mountain Coach, owed wages to a worker. Denver Labor opened an investigation and sent a notice of investigation to the employer. Thanks to the business prompt cooperation, Denver Labor resolved the case quickly and helped recover $5,814.00 for 306 hours of unpaid work.

A worker at Denver True Value, a hardware store, filed a complaint after not receiving a promised raise. The employee was hired at $18.50 per hour, and the employer said they would receive $20 per hour after 30 days. However, when the 30 days passed, the employer repeatedly promised a raise and back pay but failed to provide either for several months.

After our team investigated the case and reviewed all documentation, we confirmed the employer had made this promise. We resolved the case by securing an agreement from the employer on a payment plan and recovering $3,345.69 in restitution for the worker.

A bartender filed a complaint after being paid below Denver’s legal minimum wage by a local restaurant group. Denver Labor investigated all establishments owned by the group and uncovered violations of both minimum wage and overtime. The investigation helped 113 employees recover $29,923.44 in restitution, including interest and damages.

Three former employees of Asset Recovery Inc., a professional funds recovery service, filed complaints online claiming they were paid below the minimum wage. Our investigation confirmed that the company had an illegal policy: employees were paid a base rate of $15 per hour but had to meet specific quotas to earn more. When workers did not meet these quotas, their pay fell below Denver’s legal minimum wage. Asset Recovery Inc. worked with Denver Labor to revise the policy and provide restitution to all affected employees, resulting in a total of $2,630.73 (including interest and damages) paid to 13 workers.

Our office received an online complaint alleging two workers were not paid for their work with Maria Cleaning Magic, a subcontractor for Baxter Construction on a project at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Airport. Baxter Construction, which benefited from the workers’ labor, ultimately paid the owed wages. Our office also educated Baxter Construction about upstream liability and their responsibilities under the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance when subcontracting. As a result, Denver Labor recovered $2,816.66 for the two workers.

A staffing company paid 15 employees working as temporary laborers in Denver less than the local minimum wage. To address the issue, the company collaborated with Denver Labor to conduct a self-audit and raise all wages going forward to ensure compliance with Denver's minimum wage. The case was resolved with Denver Labor recovering $5,177.17 in restitution for the 15 affected workers.

Our office received a web complaint from a former employee of Genco Injury Attorneys who had not received their final paycheck, which should have included accrued paid time off (PTO) and sick leave upon termination. Our office quickly resolved the case by using the Denver Labor’s 14-day resolution policy, allowing us to settle the issue before a formal investigation could be opened, avoiding additional interest or damages. Our team of analysts successfully recovered $2,594.22 for the employee.

A former employee of The Standard Group, a commercial real estate property management company in Denver, submitted a complaint alleging they were paid less than Denver's minimum wage. Denver Labor initiated an investigation and confirmed that two employees had been paid below the city’s legal minimum wage. As a result, the employer returned $28,803.09 — including damages and interest — to the underpaid workers.

Two former employees of RemainReal Fine Art Gallery filed a claim alleging their employer made illegal deductions from their final paychecks to cover the costs of changing locks after their termination. Additionally, the business failed to pay out the accrued paid time off (PTO) balance to one of the employees upon their termination.

Denver Labor initiated an investigation, during which the employer provided the necessary records and promptly compensated the workers. The two employees recovered a total of $4,675.66, which included 200% in damages.

Two former employees of a Denver restaurant, Sushi by SYC, submitted a complaint alleging they were missing earned wages from their final paychecks after being terminated.

Denver Labor conducted an investigation and confirmed the underpayment. The employer cooperated and promptly paid a total of $733.59 in restitution for 39 hours of work owed to the two employees.

Our office received a complaint from a former employee of Qualified.com Inc., alleging that the company had enforced an unlawful bonus policy and failed to pay the employee’s bonus upon their departure.

Following the notice of investigation, the employer responded promptly and corrected the issue. As a result, two affected workers received a total of $11,846 in restitution.

Denver Labor resolved the case with no additional penalties or damages.

Denver Labor received a complaint from an employee who alleged that their former employer, Property Alliance LLC, failed to pay them for 80 hours of accrued vacation time. In response, Denver Labor issued a notice of investigation to the company, which promptly resolved the issue by repaying the unpaid wages. The case closed with a restitution payment of $3,381.57 to the employee, with no additional damages assessed.

Two employees at YogaSix filed a complaint with our office, reporting that they were required to work while sick due to the company’s lack of a sick leave policy or an accrual system. After we issued a notice of investigation, the employer acknowledged the issue and took immediate corrective action.

As a result, 66 current and former employees received a total of $16,509.00 in restitution for 821.20 hours of sick leave. Following the investigation, the employer implemented a compliant sick leave policy. Employees now accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, in compliance with the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act.

Our office received an anonymous complaint from a worker at Shanahan’s Steakhouse, alleging that the business changed the tip-out percentage for front-of-house staff without prior notice or employee agreement.

Denver Labor collaborated with the employer, who engaged with our team and provided documentation to help clarify the issue. After reviewing the matter, the employer calculated the amount owed to affected employees for the period during which the increased tip-out rate was in effect. The case closed with the employer issuing a total restitution of $8,468.67 to 30 workers.

Denver Labor received a complaint involving an employee of Wiser Imagery Services LLC, a Tennessee-based company. The employee, who works remotely from Denver, was hired in early March 2025 at an hourly rate of $16.00, which is below Denver’s current minimum wage of $18.81.

After being contacted by Denver Labor, the employer promptly issued retroactive pay and adjusted the employee’s hourly rate to comply with the city’s minimum wage. The business also provided documentation confirming the employee is their only staff member based in Denver.

As a result of the investigation, Denver Labor recovered $1,038.90 in restitution for the worker. Due to the employer’s cooperation and proof of payment, no interest or damages were assessed.

An ultrasound technician filed a complaint with Denver Labor, stating she had not received her final paycheck after resigning—despite her efforts to resolve the issue directly with her employer, Little Bellies. After investigating the issue, Denver Labor found that the employer owed $1,710.00 in unpaid wages. Three months later, the employer paid the overdue amount.

However, due to the delayed payment, Denver Labor determined the worker was also entitled to additional damages and interest. When the employer failed to respond to this determination, the case was referred to collections.

The employer instead contacted Denver Labor to resolve the matter before proceeding further with collections. Our team worked collaboratively with the employer, ultimately securing an additional $5,182.85 for the worker (300% in damages and 12% interest). The case closed with Denver Labor recovering a total of $6,892.85 in restitution for the worker.

Our office received an online complaint from a subcontracted warehouse worker at AGI Cargo. The complainant did not get paid Denver’s minimum wage, experienced overtime violations, and was not paid for their earned sick leave. Denver Labor investigated the claim, and after receiving documentation from the employer and complainant, we found that the worker was owed wages for unpaid compensable time. The case ended with our analysts recovering $4,328.79 in restitution for one worker.

Denver Labor received a complaint of unpaid wages for one worker at Mile High Electric. In this new wage theft case, we found the worker completed two days of work, but the business sent a message indicating that they would not receive payment for the second day due to the quality of the work performed. Upon submitting a notice of investigation, Mile High Electric paid the worker immediately, resulting in $522 in restitution for one worker.

Our office received an online complaint from a cargo worker at AGI Cargo who didn't get paid for the time worked during their meal breaks. The worker also did not get paid when they took sick leave. Denver Labor investigated the claim, and after receiving documentation from the employer and complainant, our team found that the worker was owed wages for unpaid compensable time. The case ended with our analysts recovering $1,337.07 in restitution for one worker.

A worker contacted Denver Labor because they did not receive their final paycheck after Denver Chophouse closed its Denver International Airport location. During our wage investigation, our analysts confirmed the employer continued paying 2024’s minimum wage rate into 2025 and failed to update wage rates for their workers according to the city ordinance. Denver Chophouse cooperated fully with our investigation by responding promptly and issuing payment to affected workers. With their immediate response, the employer avoided the assessment of interest and damages. The case closed with Denver Labor recovering a total of $70,010.71 for 44 workers.

Denver Labor received an anonymous complaint about Barre3, a fitness studio in Denver, not paying Denver’s citywide minimum wage. The complainant alleged that the business paid their instructors per class instead of an hourly wage. After accounting for all the hours worked, we determined workers were paid below the minimum wage requirements for the City and County of Denver and ordered restitution. As a result, our office helped return a total of $25,258.23 for 46 workers.

Denver Labor initiated a complaint-based investigation because a worker at AMC Theaters was disciplined for failing to find a replacement for his shift when he called in sick, a violation of Colorado's Healthy Families and Workplaces Act. The business also didn't pay his accrued paid sick leave when he was absent. Denver Labor determined that these were wage theft and retaliation violations and required AMC Theaters to pay $245.05 in restitution, interest, and damages to the employee and $5,200 in penalties to the City and County of Denver. The employer worked promptly with Denver Labor to change their sick leave practices to comply with the law and to resolve the retaliation and wage theft cases.

In 2024, an employee from Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, resigned and filed a complaint about unpaid vacation time. Our civil wage theft team contacted the company to address the issue, and Frito-Lay quickly resolved it by compensating the former employee and two other affected individuals. Thanks to the cooperation of the employer during the investigation, three employees recovered $1,887.70 in total restitution.

Our office received an online complaint from a security worker alleging that New Wave Security Solutions paid below minimum wage for training pay and illegally deducted four hours from their check. Denver Labor investigated the claim and determined that the company paid what they owed restitution to the affected worker. We closed the case by recovering $407.08 for one worker.

A security worker contacted Denver Labor claiming they had not been paid by their employer, Denver Metro Protective Services, for three weeks. After our team of analysts examined the payroll records provided by the company, the complainant notified us that they received all owed wages. The security worker recovered $2,880 for 120 hours worked.

Denver Labor received an anonymous minimum wage violation complaint at a Denver café. When we contacted the restaurant, managers immediately gave us access to the necessary records, and we identified numerous underpayments. Thanks to the employer's willingness to cooperate with our investigation and correct the issue, we recovered $13,616.94 in restitution, damages, and interest for 25 workers for 986 hours worked.

A former employee of the home care business Transitioning Home Inc. filed a wage complaint with Denver Labor, stating they didn't receive their final paycheck. Our investigation confirmed the employee's allegation and found the missing payment occurred due to complications with pay periods when the employer switched payroll providers. Our team presented substantial evidence of the issue to the employer, and as a result of our efforts, Denver Labor successfully recovered $2,762.24 for the complainant.

Denver Labor received a wage complaint from a worker hired by a staffing company called Best Service Staffing LLC to perform housekeeping work for a hotel. The complainant worked five days but only received wages for one day of work because the business was not compensating the worker the time spent on training. The worker provided supporting evidence for her complaint, and the employer immediately cooperated with the investigation. Thanks to the employer's prompt response and willingness to work with our team, Denver Labor helped recover $1,498.57 in restitution.

Our office received an anonymous complaint of tipped workers at the barbershop Boulder Barbers who were illegally receiving a sub-minimum wage rate. Denver's Citywide Minimum Wage Ordinance states that only employers can claim a tip credit up to $3.02 to reduce their minimum wage obligation for qualified food and beverage workers based on the tips received. After Denver Labor opened an investigation, the employer voluntarily calculated the wages owed to their workers, corrected their wage policy, and issued restitution checks. Twenty-one workers received a total of $23,240.76 in wage restitution.

Denver Labor initiated a strategic enforcement investigation into ShyftOff Corp., a customer service gig app. After requesting payroll records for all their workers, our labor compliance analysts found that the business was paying below Denver's minimum wage to one remote worker located in the City and County of Denver. Remote workers who perform their activity in Denver are entitled to Denver's minimum wage, regardless of the location or headquarters of the employer. The investigation closed with our team recovering $1,170.40 for the underpaid worker.

Our office received an online complaint regarding a worker at Tribe Recovery Homes who had not received wages for the previous pay period a week after their original payday. Denver Labor investigated the claim and obtained payroll documents from the employer. After review, the complainant informed us they received all owed wages. Denver Labor helped recover $1,735.20 in restitution for one worker, covering 80 hours of work.

During an active investigation of Nail Story, we found that workers were being paid below minimum wage. Nail Story acted quickly to address the issue and achieve compliance well before our determination was finalized. Their thorough record-keeping enabled a quick and efficient review, allowing us to account for wages already paid to workers accurately. We helped recovered $27,794.09 in restitution for 14 employees.

Denver Labor received a minimum wage complaint from an employee at a local McDonald's. After months of investigation, our team found that 12 workers were paid below the citywide minimum wage. The case ended with our team recovering a total restitution of $7,691.67.

Our office received a minimum wage complaint about a solar company, Nova Solar, not paying minimum wage to their salespeople in Denver. Denver Labor worked with the company for an extensive amount of time and was able to correct the violation. The business returned $1,014.89 for three underpaid workers.

Our office received a wage theft complaint form submitted by a worker who did not receive their final severance package pay at Colorado Rising, a statewide non-profit organization. The employer responded quickly to Denver Labor's requests and paid the owed wages to the worker within 14 days, avoiding any additional damages and penalties. One worker recovered $1,900 in restitution.

An event worker at the Colorado High School Activities Association in Denver submitted a wage complaint, alleging the employer had paid less than Denver's minimum wage while they were working at a high school sporting tournament.

Denver Labor initiated an investigation, and the association voluntarily returned unpaid wages to workers who earned less than the local minimum wage. The case ended with 33 employees receiving $9,320.29 in wage restitution.

In a recent complaint-based investigation, Denver Labor found that ten workers from Heartbeat Denver Inc. were experiencing wage theft, including violations related to Denver's minimum wage, personal time off, and illegal deductions. Through our investigation, we helped return a total restitution of $10,380.31. This restitution included recovered wages, annual interest, and damages.

A part-time employee at a local pizza restaurant, Corner House Pizza, resigned after a short period of working for the business and did not receive their final paycheck. When our team contacted the employer, we found that the company policy withheld one week's pay for employees who quit without notice, a practice that is illegal because workers must receive the wages they earned through their work. After several weeks of investigation and communication with the business, one employee recovered $1,017.55 for 22.06 hours of unpaid work..

Our office, Denver Labor, received a web form complaint because a local restaurant, Tommy’s Thai, was not paying the correct minimum wage for tipped employees. Our office educated the employer on how to calculate the tip credit for each qualified position since the Citywide Minimum Wage Ordinance came into effect. The employer worked with our office to correct the violation and make all workers whole. Our team recovered a restitution of $81,763.46 for 18 employees.

Denver Labor received a wage complaint alleging Safe Splash Swim School failed to pay Denver's minimum wage for regular work and online training hours. The local swimming school was very cooperative with our investigation and quickly issued restitution to their workers. The case closed with our team helping 64 workers recover a total of $32,549.84.

Denver Labor received a wage complaint because a business in the food and beverage industry, Devil's Cup Coffee, was paying its workers below Denver's minimum wage. The business was not applying the tipped credit correctly. The tip credit allows companies to reduce their minimum wage obligation up to $3.02 per hour when workers receive at least that amount in documented tips. Upon our investigation, and notice to the employer, the employer corrected the minimum wage violations and promptly paid $817.43 to seven workers.

Denver Labor received an online complaint form submission because a local flooring company, Carpet One Denver, failed to pay Denver's minimum wage to commission-only employees, that is, workers who did not receive a base pay. After issuing our determination, the business was cooperative with our investigation and proactively returned unpaid wages to meet Denver's minimum wage requirements on or before their due date. Our labor compliance analysts help recover $57,165.20 in restitution for three workers.

Our team received an online complaint form submission alleging that the restaurant, Local Jones, failed to pay wages earned through the incentive program Bucketlist. Through Bucketlist, employers reward workers for their extraordinary work through "tokens" or digital rewards that can be redeemed for money or other recompenses, like movie tickets. Upon reviewing the policies and agreements related to the program, our team considered that the incentives earned were wages under the Colorado Wage Act. The employee did the work they had to do to earn those wages, and the dollar amount was determinable; in other words, wages could be calculated as each token earned was worth $5. Local Jones paid one worker a total restitution of $2,088.69 for 115 incentive tokens.

Denver Labor received an online wage complaint alleging The Urology Center of Colorado did not pay accrued paid time off (PTO) to a long-time employee when the business shut down and transferred operations to another medical center. After Denver Labor opened an investigation, the company quickly paid owed PTO wages to one worker, totaling $8,847.88.

A former employee of local fast food chain Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard submitted a complaint alleging the business didn't pay the sick time they had earned and used before leaving. The company reviewed the sick leave request in its system and realized the worker's request had been denied by mistake. The company promptly paid the worker $487.90 for 8.5 hours of unpaid sick leave and provided additional training on paid leave to its managers.

Denver Labor received a complaint from one worker who alleged that a local restaurant, Denver Chophouse, didn't pay them full wages. After communicating with the employer, we confirmed the business was paying at least minimum wage to all workers. However, the complainant didn't have access to the employer's payment method, Money Network card. Denver Chophouse was cooperative and provided an immediate alternative payment for the worker. The case ended with Denver Labor recovering a total restitution of $205.03 for one worker without assessing interest and damages, as there was no wage theft violation.

Our office received an online wage complaint because the marijuana dispensary Green Cross at Cherry Creek applied the tip credit when paying its workers. The tip credit is only allowable in the food and beverage industry, where employers can reduce their minimum wage obligation up to $3.02 per hour as long as their workers earn that amount in documented tips.

Our office educated the employer on minimum wage requirements and why the marijuana industry is not eligible to use the tip credit for hourly wages. The employer worked with our office to correct the violation. Denver Labor recovered a total restitution of $21,431.35 for 17 workers.

A home care worker from A Plus Personal Care Provider Services LLC filed a complaint reporting one month of unpaid wages. The employer responded promptly to Denver Labor's notice of investigation and provided the requested paystub records.

Upon review of records, Denver Labor noticed that the employer should have included records of the complainant's last month of work. The employer realized their error and returned the unpaid wages to the complainant six months later. Due to the delay, our team had to calculate damages and interests and recovered $5,105.70 for the complainant.

A worker in Denver reached out to Denver Labor because they were being underpaid at their job. Previously, the employee had addressed the issue directly with the employer, House of Revenue, LLC, a marketing company in Denver. The business admitted the error and agreed to repay them promptly. However, the employer failed to return the unpaid wages, and the worker contacted our analyst team for help.

Our civil wage theft team notified the employer that they had 14 days to pay back their worker. Otherwise, Denver Labor would open an investigation and make them liable for restitution, damages, and penalties. The marketing company proactively corrected the civil wage theft violation and paid $16,250 to the complainant.

Denver Labor investigated a nail salon, La Vogue Nails and Spa1 LLC as part of our active enforcement efforts. Our analysts found that the salon had misclassified its workers as commission-based workers, the business didn't have a commission policy or agreement in place, and the percentage of commission received by workers did not meet Denver's minimum wage requirements. Additionally, the salon failed to maintain records of the hours worked. Because of the lack of records, Denver Labor calculated wages owed to workers based on a 40-hour work week of "peak and off-peak" hours. The investigation closed with a total restitution of $40,573.51 for seven workers.

In 2024, Denver Labor received a wage theft complaint from a former restaurant worker at Walter's 303 Pizzeria and Publik House. The worker reported that the employer didn't pay for two days of sick leave. They also alleged that, after taking that time off, the restaurant reduced the employees' work hours and terminated the employee within two weeks after they expressed their frustration that the employer revoked all their future Friday shifts.

Upon reviewing payroll records provided by the business, we found that the worker had not been paid sick leave, but our team also discovered that another employee working as a server was only receiving tips as compensation without being paid proper wages.

The case closed with Denver Labor helping recover $6,424.30 in restitution for two employees. The complainant and the restaurant reached a voluntary settlement, and the business paid the employee $4,500 to close the wage theft and retaliation investigation. The second affected worker, who was not paid a base rate, also received $1,924.30 in restitution.

Denver Labor's civil wage theft team received a complaint from a homecare worker who performed 42 hours of work for his client, Ablecare Inc., but had not been paid due to reimbursement issues with Medicaid. His employer had to pay him for all hours worked and collaborated with Denver Labor to determine the total number of unpaid hours. The business paid the homecare worker $2,255.40 in full restitution, interest, and damages.

Even if workers make just a few cents under Denver’s minimum wage, it can still add up to a considerable underpayment for the worker and real consequences for the employer.

In a recent case, Denver Labor received a wage complaint stating that Quest Dianostics, a medical facility in Denver, was paying $17.18 instead of $17.29 per hour, Denver's minimum wage in 2023. Our office opened an investigation and requested payroll records for all workers and found that four employees were being underpaid. The case closed with our team recovering $3,139.29 in restitution for 1,237.86 hours worked.

Our office received two complaints alleging Colorado Mental Health Services didn't pay wages for worked time. One of the complainants stated that the company owed them 67.5 hours of work. The worker explained that the business refused to pay because the employee didn't give a two weeks notice. Denver Labor requested payroll records along with hours worked for the complainant. Our civil wage theft analysts recovered $7,215.00 for 67.5 hours worked.

Our team opened another investigation after receiving a second complaint and requested payroll and time records for this complainant. Colorado Mental Health paid the complainant immediately after they received our notice of investigation and notified us that the work was performed in Englewood instead of Denver, but they still paid the owed hours. The case closed with the worker receiving $2,800 for 80 hours of work.

An employee of Mile High Behavioral Healthcare, a nonprofit organization in Denver, submitted a complaint alleging they had been paid less than Denver's minimum wage for the time worked in Denver. Denver Labor initiated an investigation, and the employer voluntarily provided retroactive pay for the underpaid hours. The case ended with one employee receiving $104.11 in restitution.

A former employee of a flower shop in Denver submitted a complaint that they had been underpaid for their time worked. Denver Labor initiated an investigation and confirmed that the flower shop had paid the employee below the promised wage rate. The business didn't pay for some worked hours and committed overtime violations. Our team successfully closed the case, recovering $961.37 in restitution for 37.95 hours worked.

A security guard working for Inner Parish Security Corporation submitted a wage theft complaint to Denver Labor, alleging that his supervisor failed to report his work hours to payroll. After receiving the complaint, our team requested and received the necessary records from the employer in a timely manner. The evidence presented by the worker and the payroll records revealed the employer owed wages for 26 hours of work. The investigation closed with our team recovering $2,459.67 for one worker.

Our office received multiple web complaints of workers who did not receive pay for overtime while completing work for Comatta Construction LLC on the skyline project located on 26th and Alcott Street. Our wage theft team contacted a higher level contractor, RSL Contractors LTD, and educated them about the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance and the up-the-chain accountability approach, which may require any employer who ultimately benefits from a worker's labor to pay their wages. RSL Contractors LTD understood their responsibilities based on the ordinance and returned $61,283.25 for 33 underpaid employees.

A former employee of Clean Your Dirty Face, a beauty salon in Denver, submitted a complaint because they had been misclassified as exempt and had not been paid for overtime work. Denver Labor initiated an investigation, and the salon worked with us to provide their payroll information. Our team found that the salon had been paying several employees below Denver's minimum wage and was not complying with overtime pay. Denver Labor recovered $5,439.24 in restitution for seven employees for 824 hours worked.

A former employee of a nonprofit organization in Denver named The Center for Trauma and Resilience submitted a complaint alleging that they had not received their final paycheck and their accrued Paid Time Off (PTO) upon their resignation. Denver Labor initiated an investigation and found that the organization owed the former employee unpaid hours and forfeited PTO. The nonprofit worked collaboratively with us and returned $3,815.18 to the worker.

Denver Labor received a complaint stating an employee at Kahlo's, a Mexican restaurant in Denver, was paid below the local minimum wage. Our office requested payroll records for all workers at the restaurant, but Kahlo's Restaurant did not respond to our notice of investigations or provide payroll records for their staff. The complainant kept good records of the hours worked, tips, and paystubs, and Denver Labor used the worker's information to determine the underpayment amount. The case closed with Denver Labor recovering $21,083.20 for one employee. We could not confirm if other workers were victims of wage theft due to the employer’s refusal to produce records.

Denver Labor collaborates with consulates in Denver to deter wage theft and protect the wage rights of the immigrant communities. In this new case, the Consulate General of Mexico in Denver contacted us because a worker alleged John E's Tire Xchange Mobile Service was illegally deducting wages from the worker’s paycheck. Denver Labor contacted the worker and requested their paystubs. The paystubs audit revealed the business was illegally deducting wages, and it was also paying the worker $16 per hour, below Denver's Citywide Minimum wage rate.

The employer was not responsive to our notices of investigation, but Denver Labor was able to reach a determination based on the worker's testimony and the evidence he provided. Our office collected $894.78 for one employee.

Our office received a wage theft complaint alleging Puerto Vallarta LLC was paying below Denver's tipped minimum wage. Puerto Vallarta LLC was responsive during the initial investigation and collaborated with our team during the investigation process. After reviewing the restaurant's payroll records and discussing them with their accountant, Denver Labor determined that Puerto Vallarta LLC was not complying with the minimum wage tip credit. Puerto Vallarta LLC promptly paid its workers a total restitution of $77,606.48 to 304 workers. Restitution included $32,045.80 in unpaid wages, $32,360.94 in damages, and a 12% annual interest of $13,197.74

Denver Labor received a written complaint from a worker reporting wage theft at Goodwill of Colorado. Upon receiving notice of the investigation, Goodwill of Colorado cooperated exceptionally with our team and took a proactive approach to make its workers whole. The case closed with nine workers receiving a total of $1,780.56 in restitution, which included $523.23 in owed wages, $210.87 in 12% annual interest, and $1,046.46 in damages.

Denver Labor received a third-party complaint alleging that workers on a project with Total Fire Protection were experiencing wage theft. Denver Labor requested payroll records from the company and identified one worker who was being paid below Denver's minimum wage. After receiving Denver Labor's determination, Total Fire Protection corrected the issue and paid wage restitution of $426.49 to one worker

A restaurant worker submitted a wage complaint stating that his employer, a restaurant in Denver named DiFranco's, didn't send his final paycheck after his resignation. Denver Labor sent a notice of investigation to the employer and the business provided payroll records to the labor compliance team. After our team found the employer didn't pay for 9.38 hours of work, the company acknowledged the error and returned $171.56 to the employee.

We received a credible complaint through Denver Labor's online wage complaint form alleging a café was paying below Denver's tipped minimum wage. Upon initiating our investigation, Capital Tea LLC demonstrated commendable responsiveness by promptly providing verification of retroactive payment for all current workers. Denver’s wage protections also cover workers who have left an employer after a wage violation, and Capital Tea readily acknowledged this responsibility and cooperated fully. Capital Tea exemplified its commitment to fair compensation and compliance by providing a total restitution of $44,441.37 to 19 workers.

Denver Labor received a complaint from a remote customer service agent in Denver who reported being paid below Denver's minimum wage. The company, Sitel Operating Corporation (doing business as Foundever Operating Corp.) proactively jumped ahead of our process. They promptly provided a list of 23 other remote workers living and working in the City and County of Denver and initiated retroactive payments for all affected workers. Through collaborative efforts, we verified and helped return a total of $4,972.25 for 24 underpaid workers.

Denver Labor initiated an investigation after receiving a civil wage theft complaint for a company named STS Maintenance Line. The complaint stated that the business was editing their time records, which resulted in the complainant not receiving all his earned wages. Our team requested all payroll records, including the edits made to the complainant's time records. The company was cooperative and shared the requested information. STS Maintenance Line also provided proof of payment for restitution. As a result of this investigation, our office helped recover $2,242.20 in restitution for one employee.

Our team received a complaint from a remote customer service representative working in Denver who reported they were being paid less than Denver's minimum wage. Their employer, Maximus, was initially not responsive to Denver Labor's notice of investigation and requests for payroll records. After Denver Labor penalized the business for failure to report, the company provided all requested records. These showed that the business raised wages after it had received the notice of investigation and the business paid wage restitution. One worker received $31.70 for over 109 hours of work.

Denver Labor opened an active enforcement investigation for the Four Seasons Hotel. The hospitality industry is at high risk of non-compliance with Denver's minimum wage and the tip credit.

Our office requested payroll records for all their employees working in the City and County of Denver. Upon receiving payroll records, we determined that the hotel was applying the tip credit to their non-food and beverage workers. The Denver’s Minimum Wage ordinance allows employers to reduce their minimum wage obligation up to $3.02 per hour for their tipped food and beverage workers. However, the hotel applied the tip credit incorrectly to valet workers, door attendants, and bell attendants, paying them less than Denver's minimum wage.

Our office educated the hotel on how to comply with the ordinance and the tip credit requirements. As a result of our investigation, 46 workers received $20,546 in wage restitution, and now all employees earn at least $18.29/hour, the local minimum wage in 2024.

Denver Labor received a wage complaint because Hospitality Shuttle did not pay for 48 hours of work performed in the City and County of Denver. The civil wage theft team initiated an investigation, requested payroll records for the affected worker, and found that the company owed $2,427.35. Denver Labor ended the case, helping recover the worker's unpaid wages.

Our office investigated Watercourse Foods after receiving a civil wage theft complaint alleging the company did not include earned tips in a worker's final check. After gathering information from the tip pool, we confirmed that the business owed tips, and the case closed with the employee receiving $572.19 in restitution for 22 hours worked..

Our office received a complaint from a worker at Crossmark Inc. who was being paid below Denver’s minimum wage rate. We opened an investigation and requested all payroll records for Crossmark workers doing their activity in Denver. Upon receiving their payroll records, we found that the business was not paying people according to Denver’s ordinance for the hours worked in the City and County of Denver. We closed the case, recovering $28,758.62 in restitution for 110 workers.

Any person can submit a wage complaint to our office, no matter how small the case is. In this case, Denver Labor received a third-party complaint because a job posting from the Brown Palace Hotel advertised a pay rate below Denver’s minimum wage. Denver Labor found that only one employee was being underpaid for a month and the business corrected their wages to meet Denver’s minimum wage the following month. That worker recovered $52.17 for 6.58 hours worked.

Denver Labor opened an active enforcement investigation for One Connection Nails, a business in a high-risk industry for underpaid workers. Upon receiving payroll records, our team found the company was paying strictly commissions and tips, and they weren’t keeping track of the hours worked by their employees. Our analysts educated the business on adequate record keeping and how to comply with Denver’s minimum wage. Tips outside the food and beverage industry should not be deducted from the worker’s hourly rate. As a result of the investigation, our office recovered $120,867.91 for 16 employees.

Our office received a complaint from a worker at Star Buds Dispensary DU who performed their activity at the Denver location once a week but was not paid the required hourly rate according to the Citywide Minimum Wage Ordinance. Our team opened an investigation and requested all payroll records for their workers in Denver since 2020. We found that the company didn’t pay Denver’s minimum wage for the first two years and that their new timekeeping system had no specific time clock assigned to their physical location. As a result, workers performing their activities in Denver were also paid less than Denver’s minimum wage in 2023. The company determined on its own that its workers had to be considered non-tipped employees, raised wages to meet the local minimum wage requirements, and provided restitution to their workers. The case closed with 37 workers receiving $32,987.51.

Our office received an online wage complaint because Kabod Coffee, a business located at Denver International Airport, was not paying the correct minimum wage for its tipped workers. Our minimum wage team educated the employer on annual minimum wage rate changes and how to pay tipped workers in the food and beverage industry. The employer corrected the error, fixed its wages, and paid restitution quickly. The case closed with our office recovering $38,202 for 105 workers.

Denver Labor received a complaint because a medical spa company, Laser Loft Denver LLC, was underpaying its employees. After our minimum wage team requested the payroll records, they found eight workers were being underpaid from 2021 to 2023. The business was very cooperative, took responsibility for their oversight, and quickly returned the unpaid wages to their workers. Due to our investigation, eight workers received $6,494.26 in restitution.

New determinations from Denver Labor, a division of the Denver Auditor’s Office, found that two staffing companies misclassified their workers as independent contractors. As a result, hundreds of workers were paid less than minimum wage and did not receive overtime pay, and thousands were denied the right to paid sick leave. In total, these new wage theft determinations revealed more than 1,200 minimum wage violations, more than 700 overtime violations, and more than 13,500 paid sick leave violations. The wage theft determinations require the two companies involved to pay almost $280,000 in restitution to workers and more than $800,000 in fines.

Denver Labor received a wage theft complaint regarding a private school counselor not being paid for time spent on training and for the time the employer's payroll system was down. Denver Labor initiated an investigation and recovered $3,472.48 for 57.5 hours of unpaid work.

Denver Labor received a complaint for a dog walking business in Denver. According to payroll records, workers in Denver were paid below Denver's minimum wage, and some of them were misclassified as commission workers between 2020 and 2023. From the initial notice of investigation, Pawsitively Pooches LLC cooperated with our team to make their workers whole. For this case, our office received $ 20,371.83 in restitution for 21 workers for 8,659 hours worked.

We received a complaint from an accounting IT specialist who had been misclassified as a salaried employee. Based on the complaint, Colorado Accounting Systems paid the worker below Denver's minimum wage and owed wages for the hours worked. Upon reviewing the payroll records, our team found the employer had been underpaying this employee for over a year. The worker provided detailed record keeping and emails that helped confirm the time worked for the employer's benefit. After Denver Labor issued a determination that included restitution, damages, and penalties, the complainant and the employer reached a private settlement agreement. The underpaid employee received $36,000.

Denver Labor initiated an active enforcement investigation for a valet company in Denver. Upon receiving payroll records and conducting an audit, our team noticed the business was applying the tip credit, which is only allowed in the food and beverage industry. The company wanted to make things right and cooperated with our team to return unpaid wages to their workers. The case ended with Denver Labor helping recover $70,531.53 in restitution for 60 workers.

A worker contacted our minimum wage team because their employer, JMC Cleaning Services, was not paying her Denver's minimum wage. The company failed to provide payroll records, but the complainant shared with our team her pay stubs, which established her pay rate. After reviewing the information submitted by the complainant, our team determined that she had been paid below the local minimum wage since 2021. Our team helped recover $23,215.01 for 3,760 hours worked.

Denver Labor received a wage theft complaint alleging the employer United Ground Express didn't pay a worker their final check after leaving the company. Our office investigated the case and recovered $1,793.09 for 35 hours worked. The restitution included damages and interest owed for failure to pay the final check.

Our office received a web form complaint alleging a franchised 7-Eleven was not paying Denver's minimum wage. After working with the employer, the business updated its wages and paid $528.70 in restitution to 2 underpaid workers.

Denver Labor conducted an active investigation into Vivent Health, a healthcare non-profit in Denver, after receiving information about its "use-it-or-lose-it" paid time off policy. The non-profit cooperated with the investigation and provided Denver Labor payrolls and policies to assist our analysts in determining the underpayment. The case closed with our civil wage theft team recovering $9,493.58 for 17 employees who had forfeited their earned paid time off.

Denver's Civil Wage Theft Ordinance adopts an "up-the-chain accountability" approach. This means that any employer who ultimately benefits from a worker's labor may be required to pay their wages. Denver Labor's prevailing wage division recently notified the civil wage theft division of a city subcontractor named Tri-M Electric that did not pay its workers restitution for the work they performed. Our teams collaborated and applied the "up-the-chain accountability" approach to the primary contractor for the project. Our office educated the company on its responsibilities with subcontractors and the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance, including how this ordinance also applies to the City and County of Denver's prevailing wage projects. The primary contractor understood and promptly paid restitution of $5,722.82 for seven employees.

Since Denver's Citywide Minimum Wage Ordinance came into effect, our minimum wage team has resolved multiple underpayment cases in the janitorial industry. In this case, our analysts initiated an active enforcement case for Denver Janitorial Services, LLC. Upon receiving the company’s payrolls, we identified two workers who didn't receive the local minimum wage from 2020 to 2022. The business was corporative, wanted to fix the error, and paid those workers immediately after receiving the underpayment determination. The investigation ended with our office recovering $2,065.60 in restitution for two workers.

Denver Labor initiated a proactive compliance audit on the Law Office of Thomas Young. We found that their interns were paid below Denver's minimum wage rate. The law office worked with Denver Labor to make all underpaid workers whole. Six interns recovered $2,478.98 as a result of our work.

Our office received an online complaint because the bakery Beard Papas Denver was not paying the correct tipped minimum wage in 2023 for food and beverage establishments. Our team educated the employer on the tipped minimum wage, which is $14.27 in 2023, as long as workers receive $3.02 in documented tips. Beard Papas Denver corrected its wages and paid restitution to its workers. The case ended with 12 workers recovering $408.97.

Since Denver's Citywide Minimum Wage Ordinance came into effect, Denver Labor has identified the janitorial industry as a high-risk industry of underpayments. Our minimum wage team recently started an active enforcement investigation of the janitorial company Maintenance Resources. After conducting a payroll audit, we discovered that the business was not paying Denver's minimum wage since 2020. The employer was cooperative, wanted to make things right, and paid their workers immediately after receiving the calculations of the underpayment. As a result of the investigation, our office recovered $31,495.52 in restitution for 29 janitorial workers.

Our office received two minimum wage complaints about Cold Stone Creamery paying its tipped workers less than Denver's minimum wage for the food and beverage industry, which is $14.27 in 2023 if workers receive $3.02 in documented tips. After our team educated the employer on how to apply the tip credit, the business corrected the wages. The case closed with 38 workers recovering $4.352.12 in owed wages.

Our office received a wage complaint because 24-7 Intouch was not paying remote employees who live and work in the City of County of Denver the correct minimum wage. Our team educated the employer on Denver’s Minimum Wage Ordinance and how it applies to work performed within the geographic limits of the City and County of Denver. The employer worked with our office and corrected the workers’ wages. As a result of our work, our team recovered $334,211.23 for 161 employees.

A remote employee submitted a wage complaint because Tellus International was not paying Denver's 2023 minimum wage rate. Denver Labor opened an investigation and requested payroll records for all employees performing work in Denver. Upon being notified, Tellus International increased all wages for employees working in Denver to meet Denver's citywide minimum wage and made the employees whole. As a result, five employees recovered $1,368.94

Denver Labor opened an active enforcement case in the wellness industry, which has been identified as a high-risk industry for underpayments. After the team reviewed the payroll records from a Massage Envy location in Denver, they identified three employees that were paid below Denver’s minimum wage for hours worked in 2020. The company worked well with our team, and upon receiving our determination, they returned the unpaid wages to workers. The case ended with three employees recovering $630.74.

Our office received a web form complaint because a global convenience store was not paying its workers the local minimum wage. Our labor compliance analysts educated the employer on Denver’s Minimum Wage Ordinance and the current minimum wage rate. After working with the business to calculate restitution, our team recovered $1,803.65 for 12 employees.

There is no case too small for our office. Denver Labor received a wage complaint after Starbucks required its employees at two locations in Denver to perform work duties off the clock. After an investigation, our civil wage theft team determined these Starbucks locations owed wages to three employees for one to two hours of work. In total, our team recovered $184.24 for three employees.

A church school program that started as a volunteer opportunity for teenagers decided to start paying them an hourly rate. The church realized it was paying below Denver’s minimum wage and wanted to make things right. The organization corrected the error for all the teenagers that performed work for them, so it could meet Denver’s citywide minimum wage requirements for 2021 and 2022. As a result, our team recovered $12,950.87 of wage restitution for 51 teenagers.

Denver Labor received a complaint alleging that Southwest Airlines was not paying an employee and their co-workers Denver’s minimum wage. Our office requested payroll records for all workers employed in Denver that were at high risk of being paid below minimum wage. Upon receiving these payroll records, we identified 13 employees who were paid below the lawful wage, and we notified the company about our findings. The airline’s attorney worked closely with our team to meet deadlines and make their employees whole. Our office was able to recover $308 in restitution for 13 employees.

A health and medical non-profit hired a worker and requested them to complete onboarding paperwork. After the worker asked whether they would pay them for the time spent filling out the paperwork, the organization rescinded their offer of employment. Our team received a complaint and negotiated a settlement for wage theft and retaliation with the non-profit. As a result of our work, the worker received $7,500.

Denver Labor initiated an active enforcement investigation for a beauty salon, an industry at a high risk of underpayments. Upon receiving payroll records, our labor compliance analysts noticed the salon was paying employees straight commission, and sometimes the business was not meeting Denver’s minimum wage rate for the hours worked. Our office educated the salon’s management on how to comply with Denver’s minimum wage while still paying commissions. The salon made its employees whole and paid the owed wages. As a result, 23 employees recovered $1,859 for nearly 2,189 hours worked.

A Denver-based employee of a national retail marketing company submitted a minimum wage complaint to Denver Labor. After reviewing the company's payroll records, we found that 23 employees in Denver were underpaid. The company worked with Denver Labor to pay $7,010.01 in restitution, interest, and damages to 23 employees.

Denver Labor received a complaint for a lawn service company. We determined that the company had been paying an employee working from home in Denver $15 per hour since 2022, a wage rate below Denver's minimum wage. Our initial review of payroll records and commission reports found regular discrepancies between amounts owed and paid. The worker was being paid below minimum wage and was not receiving the full commission she earned. Denver Labor recovered $944.91 in restitution for one employee for 1,003.11 hours worked.

Denver Labor initiated an active enforcement investigation of a valet parking company, an industry with a high risk of underpayments. Upon receiving payroll records, our minimum wage team noticed the valet company was applying tips to the hourly rate. Our office educated the employer about the tip credit, which can only be applied in the food and beverage industry. The employer cooperated and worked well with our team during the investigation, and our office helped return $23,724.38 to 78 workers.

Our office received an anonymous web complaint of a local food packaging company. Our minimum wage team contacted the employer and educated them about Denver’s minimum wage. As a result of our work, one worker recovered $518.63

Denver Labor conducted an active investigation of a national pet supply chain that shares geographical bounds with another county to ensure their workers earned at least Denver's minimum wage. In some instances, our team found that the business was not paying the correct wage rate. We educated the employer on the minimum wage requirements for the City and County of Denver, and twenty-six workers received $1,909.89 for 5,666 hours worked

A Denver hotel posted a valet parking job online that was advertised below Denver’s minimum wage. Denver Labor initiated an active enforcement investigation of the hotel’s ownership group and worked collaboratively with the employer to identify 52 underpaid valets, porters, and bellhops at seven hotels in Denver. As a result of our investigation, those underpaid workers recovered $56,019.40 for 38,348 hours worked.

A major rental car company had a job posting online for jobs in Denver starting at a rate below Denver’s minimum wage, prompting Denver Labor to open an active investigation for minimum wage compliance. After reviewing multiple years of payrolls, Denver Labor identified 51 employees who were paid below the local minimum wage rate. In total, our team recovered $7,588.25 for the underpaid workers.

Our minimum wage team received a web complaint because a national beauty service retailer was paying employees less than the required Denver's minimum wage rate. Our office educated the employer on commission wages and how to apply them properly. Our office recovered $8,146.22 for 11 employees for 4,506.51 hours worked.

Our minimum wage team started an active enforcement investigation for a valet parking company, an industry where we identified a higher risk of underpayments. Upon receiving their payroll records, we noticed the business was applying a tip credit to the workers’ hourly rate. Our team educated the employer about the tip credit, which is only allowed for businesses in the food and beverage industry. The cases ended with $7,363.50 in restitution for 29 employees.

Our office received a complaint through our website because a local bar was not paying the correct minimum wage to their tipped employees, which is $14.25 per hour in 2023 if workers receive $3.02 in tips. The minimum wage team educated the employer on how to use the tip credit in the food and beverage industry and recovered $40,938.51 for forty-nine employees.

A nail salon and spa paid their employees a straight commission and tips. Our team initiated an active enforcement investigation and found the commission was insufficient for the employer to meet Denver’s minimum wage. After notifying the business why we found underpayments, they quickly adjusted the pay and worked with our team to return the unpaid wages. Our minimum wage team also educated the employer about the required sales commission to meet Denver’s minimum wage rate for every hour worked per pay period. Denver Labor recovered $1,215.02 for eight employees.

Denver Labor conducted an active investigation on a national food chain that shares geographical bounds with another county to ensure the business paid the correct minimum wage rate. Our team found the employer was not paying Denver’s minimum wage. After educating the business about the local ordinance, our team recovered $23.952.54 for 96 employees.

Denver Labor received a complaint because a physical stretching and wellness business offered a job at a rate below Denver’s minimum wage. When the complainant saw the offer letter and questioned about the pay, the business withdrew the job offer. The complainant provided Denver Labor with the offer letter showing a pay rate of $11.50 an hour, which was below the rate required by Denver’s minimum wage ordinance. Our office opened an investigation based on the evidence provided and recovered $2,850.79 owed to seven employees.

Denver Labor received a complaint through our website related to a regional janitorial company. Their employees performed some work within the County of Denver and some outside of the county’s boundaries. Our minimum wage team worked with the employer and educated them on how to report locations and the correct hours worked within the City and County of Denver. Our office recovered $2,218 for six employees that had worked 2,087 hours.

Our office received a minimum wage complaint from a prevailing wage analyst because a city contractor was not complying with the 2023 minimum wage rate of $17.29. Our office reviewed all payrolls and found that the employer paid those wages retroactively. As a result of our work, one employee recovered $515.42 for 63 hours worked.

A pizza delivery driver submitted a complaint because their employer paid them $10 per hour in 2022, $2.85 below the minimum wage rate for tipped employees in the food and beverage industry. Upon notice of the investigation, the employer — a local pizzeria that operated multiple locations within the City and County of Denver — provided all requested payroll records. The records showed that other workers were also underpaid. The business raised wages to meet Denver's minimum wage, and Denver Labor recovered $40,026.14 in unpaid wages for 45 workers.

Denver Labor conducted an active investigation on a national food chain in the City and County of Denver near the geographical border with another county. Our team found that the business was not paying the correct wages and educated the employer on Denver's minimum wage requirements. As a result, 42 employees recovered $9,567.48 for 7,520 hours worked.

Denver Labor received a web complaint because a national sample demonstration company was not paying Denver's minimum wage rate of $17.29 per hour. The business operated at a national grocery store next to other counties' geographical bounds. After our investigation, the employee recovered $38.38 for 31 hours of work and received a rate adjustment.

Denver Labor conducted an active investigation on a local home healthcare service company. The payrolls provided by the employer demonstrated that there was an underpayment for two employees that were paid below Denver’s minimum wage. The employer corrected the wages, and our office recovered $471.95 in restitution for 1096 hours worked.

Denver Labor received an anonymous complaint because a food supplier advertised a job opportunity at $15/hour, below Denver’s minimum wage. The complainant provided a link to the job post, and the minimum wage team determined the complaint was credible and opened an investigation. Denver Labor recovered $1,038.06 for six employees for 1,008.50 hours worked in the City and County of Denver.

Our minimum wage team contacted a valet parking company for a routine payroll audit. After we found they had been paying their employees below Denver’s minimum wage since 2021, the business cooperated with us and made all necessary corrections. All their employees now earn $16.50/hour, above the minimum wage rate in 2022. Seventy employees receive $16,479.56 in restitution for 9,500.86 hours worked.

A delivery driver for a national fast food sandwich chain submitted a complaint to Denver Labor because he and his coworkers were being paid below Denver’s minimum wage. The franchise owner had multiple locations in the metro area, and employees who were regularly scheduled to work outside the city would sometimes cover shifts at the Denver location. The owner failed to pay those fill-in employees the correct wage. After comparing their payroll records to on-site time records, we calculated the business owed $4,085 to their employees. We worked with the company to resolve the underpayment going forward and obtained restitution for 36 employees.

Our office conducted an active investigation on a local home health care company. The payrolls provided by the business demonstrated there was a minimum wage violation for one employee. The employer corrected the mistake, and our minimum wage team helped recover $124.80 for 78 hours worked.

Our office conducted an investigation on a local marijuana dispensary. After requesting their payrolls, our team found that a few employees were paid less than Denver’s minimum wage. Our minimum wage team also identified overtime violations. As a result of our investigation, the business raised wages for the underpaid workers, and three employees recovered their pay for a total of 160 hours worked.

Denver Labor received an anonymous complaint via webform of a national valet company not paying Denver's minimum wage. Our office was able to work with the employer and educate them on the minimum wage. We ensured all wages were corrected, and the employer paid restitution to all employees. Our office recovered $319.414.56 for 404 employees for 408,553 hours worked.

Denver Labor received a minimum wage complaint on our website because a local sporting goods retail store did not adjust its wages to comply with Denver’s minimum wage in 2022. Our office worked with the employer to correct the wages and return employees the money they were owed. Our office recovered $7,405.15 in restitution for 14 employees for 3,839 worked hours.

Denver Labor received an anonymous complaint because a valet parking company was underpaying their staff and independent contractors for several years. Our office opened an investigation and the business fixed the errors and started complying with the minimum wage requirements. A total of 170 employees received $48,162.65 in restitution for 15,254.50 hours worked.

Our office investigated a national fast-food restaurant in Denver near other counties' geographical boundaries. After requesting a sample of payrolls, our team discovered the business had been underpaying its employees since 2020. The minimum wage team educated the employer on the minimum wage ordinance and the changes in the wage rate since the ordinance came into effect. After closing the case, 125 people received $19.330.66 in recovered wages for 25,788 hours worked.

Denver Labor recovered $23,355.72 for employees in the valet parking industry. As part of our active enforcement efforts, our team initiated an investigation at a local parking company and found that the business was using a tip credit.

Our office educated the employer about the tip credit, which only allows businesses to reduce their minimum wage obligation for the tips received by their employees when they are in the food and beverage industry. As a result of our work, 27 underpaid workers received $23,355.72 for a total of 9,116.255 worked hours. 

Denver Labor received multiple minimum wage complaints through our website because a national brow waxing company was claiming the tip credit and paying their employees less than the required Denver minimum wage. Our team educated the employer about the use of tip credit, which can only be applied in the food and beverage industry. As a result of our work, the company corrected the wages, and their employees recovered $13,711.83.

A local pizzeria failed to comply with Denver’s minimum wage requirements for the food and beverage industry. First, the employer applied the tip credit to hostesses, even though they had no documented tips. To benefit from a tip credit, employers must document their workers’ tips to prove that they receive the amount claimed in the tip credit. Teenage servers were also paid below the minimum wage rate, even though they were not part of a certified youth employment program. Finally, the pay rate for overtime work was incorrect for tipped servers and bartenders. These errors led to underpayments of $4,365 for 49 employees in 2020 and 2021. The restaurant worked with Denver Labor to pay all employees and fix wages going forward.

Denver Labor initiated a wage investigation of a local valet parking company after seeing a job posting that advertised a starting pay rate below Denver's citywide minimum wage. Our team of analysts informed the company that they could not claim a tip credit for the tips received by their employees as they are not part of the food and beverage industry. The Citywide Minimum Wage Ordinance only allows businesses in the food and beverage industry to take a tip credit to reduce their minimum wage obligation when workers receive that amount in tips. The local valet parking company worked with our office to raise wages and pay restitution to all underpaid employees. As a result, twenty employees received a total of $994.11 in restitution.

Denver Labor’s minimum wage team received a complaint through our website that a local marijuana dispensary was paying its employees less than Denver’s required minimum wage. The business was also claiming a tip credit based on the hourly and commission wages that the employees were receiving. Our office educated the employer about using the tip credit, which can be claimed only in the food and beverage industry when employees earn at least that amount in tips. The business corrected the mistake, raised its wages, and returned $7,621.21 in restitution to 78 employees.

The Denver Labor team received a minimum wage complaint through our website because a national beauty service retailer was paying their employees less than the required Denver’s minimum wage and was claiming a tip credit. Our minimum wage team educated the employer about the tip credit, which is only allowed for businesses in the food and beverage industry to reduce their minimum wage obligation as long as their workers receive that amount in tips. The company corrected the wages for all their employees, and our office recovered $24,875.55 for 33 workers.

Denver Labor’s minimum wage team can conduct active wage enforcement investigations in industries or businesses with a higher risk of non-compliance with Denver’s minimum wage requirements. Our team initiated a wage investigation at a paint and coating retail store and found that the employer underpaid their workers in 2020. The business proactively corrected the underpayment while Denver Labor analysts reviewed their payrolls. As a result, five employees received $650.88 in recovered wages.

A local performing art group was paying their youth employees less than Denver’s minimum wage. Based on city’s ordinance, employees under 18 years old cannot earn less than the local minimum wage, unless the company obtains certification as Certified Youth Employment Program approved by Denver Economic Development & Opportunity. Denver Labor reached out to the employer, educated them about the ordinance requirements, and recovered $8,978.03 for 33 employees.

After identifying valet parking as a high-risk industry for underpayments, Denver Labor conducted a routine compliance audit on a national valet parking company. Their payroll records showed that the company was taking a tip credit for the tips received by their employees, which is only allowed in the food and beverage industry based on Denver's Citywide Minimum ordinance. When Denver Labor notified the business that they could not claim a tip credit, the company worked with our team to raise wages and resolve the underpayment. Forty-nine employees received $38,895.97 in restitution.

According to Denver's minimum wage ordinance, businesses in the food and beverage industry can claim a tip credit of up to $3.02 if their employees earn that amount in tips. Denver Labor recently closed an underpayment case where a local salon believed that they could also take a tip credit from the wages earned by their nail workers. After educating and working with the minimum wage team, the business came into compliance and returned $7,882.94 to 10 employees.

On a popular online classifieds site, a local design store advertised a job opportunity in Spanish that was paying $15.50 per hour. As a result of our minimum wage active enforcement, Denver Labor opened an investigation and requested payroll records for January 2020, January 2021, and January 2022. Our team found two employees were underpaid in 2021 and earned $14.00/hour and $13.20/hour, below Denver’s minimum wage of $14.77/hour in 2021. The company was cooperative, provided all payrolls, and completed restitution promptly upon being notified of their error. The minimum wage team recovered $3,223.79 for two employees.

A janitorial contractor cleaning a college campus located in Denver failed to pay employees Denver’s citywide minimum wage for 1.5 years. After an employee submitted a complaint to Denver Labor, all employees’ hourly rates increased to at least meet the minimum wage, and 25 janitors received $32,089.27 in restitution.  

Third parties can submit a wage complaint on behalf of an underpaid worker. In this restitution case, the African Community Center of Denver reached out to Denver Labor because an Afghan refugee they helped find employment to perform construction work was being paid below Denver’s citywide minimum wage of $15.87/hour. When Denver Labor notified the local contractor about the wage investigation, they eagerly worked with our office to resolve the underpayment and returned the unpaid wages in less than one week. The employer also raised the worker’s hourly wage to $16/hour.

A call center located in Colorado Springs was not paying Denver’s minimum wage to remote employees working at Denver addresses. After receiving a wage complaint, our office contacted the employer and educated them on Denver’s minimum wage, which requires paying the local minimum wage to employees performing their work in Denver, even if the company is located in a different county. Denver Labor was able to recover $2,521.98 for eight employees. 

Starting in 2022, Denver Minimum Wage ordinance allows Denver Labor to initiate investigations without receiving a wage complaint. Our analysts found a salon job opportunity on a classified website that offered $15.00/hour and opened an investigation. The team requested payroll records for January 2020, January 2021, and January 2022 and found that the business was paying $15/hour instead of the minimum wage of $15.87 in 2022. After being notified of their error, the company promptly provided all requested payrolls and completed restitution. Seven employees recovered $423.29 in backpay.

Denver Labor received a complaint of a local marijuana dispensary with multiple locations in the metro area. The dispensary was not adjusting wages to comply with Denver’s citywide minimum wage when the work was performed at the Denver location. After educating the employer on how to track hours and update wages for those employees working within the City and County of Denver, our team recovered $398.69 for 13 employees. 

A local coffee shop was paying their tipped baristas $10 per hour—below the tipped minimum wage of $11.75 required for the food and beverage industry in 2021. Denver Labor initiated the investigation after receiving multiple wage complaints from their employees, who contacted our office through the web form available on our website. The company provided all payrolls and promptly returned $1,834.64 in back pay to 14 employees upon being notified of their error.

A national retailer located on the Denver side of the border between Denver and Jefferson Counties was paying the state minimum wage rate for two years instead of Denver’s Minimum Wage. An employee saw a social post from our office and submitted a complaint to initiate an investigation. Upon receiving the notice of investigation and information request from our office, the employer performed a self-audit and paid a restitution of $25,268.47 for 45 employees. This case illustrates how some national companies with the Human Resources department located outside of Colorado may be unaware of local minimum wage law and underpay their workers in the City and County of Denver.

A large local restaurant claimed and documented the tip credit correctly but paid Colorado minimum wage instead of Denver’s citywide minimum wage to their workers for all of 2020 and part of 2021. An employee found the Auditor’s Office by searching on the web and they emailed the office to learn more about Denver’s minimum wage for tipped workers. When our team contacted the business, the manager provided Denver Labor all the required documentation and promptly returned $25,286 of unpaid wages for 19 employees.

An underpaid employee from a local restaurant in Denver reached out to us by submitting a wage complaint. We discovered their employer had not paid the required citywide minimum wage rate in 2020 and 2021.

After working with our analysts, the restaurant reacted quickly and returned nearly $18,000 to 20 employees. Once more, this story showcases the willingness of local businesses to collaborate with our team and do what’s right for their workers.

Home improvement sales employees who were compensated by a mix of base pay and commission were not being paid Denver’s citywide minimum wage when their sales goals were not met. Almost $16,000 was recovered for 194 employees and all employees’ base wage rates were raised to prevent future underpayments.

A large national retailer with a store near Denver’s border mistakenly thought it was subject to the state minimum wage instead of Denver’s minimum wage. Through education and cooperation, the employer corrected the mistake, raised employees’ wages, and paid 25 employees more than $2,600 in back pay.

A janitorial company incorrectly classified its employees as independent contractors to avoid having to pay minimum wage. The company refused to work with Denver Labor to correct its wage rates and achieve compliance with the law. Our office worked with an outside collections agency to recover $4,000 in unpaid wages for 24 employees, in addition to fines.

Operators of a fast-food restaurant near Denver’s border mistakenly paid less than Denver’s minimum wage. Managers worked with our team to repay more than $7,000 in underpayments for 46 employees, and they permanently increased hourly pay.

Hair stylists in a national hair salon chain were paid the minimum wage, but their employer claimed the tip credit that applies only to the food and beverage industry. Our team recovered $16,000 for 25 employees.

A prevailing wage analyst found that a third-tier electrical subcontractor performing work on two major Southwest Airlines expansion projects did not know they were working on a prevailing wage job and had not been reporting their time worked at Denver International Airport.

This was the subcontractor’s first time working on a prevailing wage project at the airport, and they were unfamiliar with the process for complying with the ordinance requirements.

The Denver Labor team held multiple meetings with the subcontractor to explain the prevailing wage ordinance, guide them through the reporting process, assist in obtaining approvals for third-party fringe benefits with the fringe team, and help reconcile and issue the restitution owed to current and former employees.

The case ended with three employees receiving over $35,000 in restitution for their work on the airport projects.

Denver Labor reviewed 100% of the payrolls for a project at Theodora Family Hotel, which is a prevailing wage project.

During a routine review of certified payrolls submitted by city contractor Befort Plumbing, a Denver Labor compliance analyst noticed the company frequently listed apprentices. As part of our standard process, the analyst requested U.S. Department of Labor apprentice certificates to verify compliance with the city’s apprenticeship requirements.

After a call with the contractor, our analyst found that the company had been using the State of Colorado apprentice certificates, which do not meet the requirements for Denver’s prevailing wage projects. Denver Labor follows the U.S Department of Labor apprenticeship certification standards, including the 1:1 journeyworker-to-apprentice ratio, not the state’s standards.

Although the contractor took steps to remedy the situation by registering with the U.S. Department of Labor and obtaining valid certificates, the approval only covered the final few weeks of work on the project. As a result, Denver Labor determined that the apprentices had not been properly classified for most of the project duration.

The case ended with Denver Labor recovering $44,449.80 in restitution for 4 apprentices.

Denver Labor received a wage complaint alleging workers under a duct and coil cleaning services contract at the Denver International Airport were misclassified and paid at the common or general laborer rate. Upon our investigation, our team of prevailing wage analysts at the airport confirmed that the employees who performed this work for more than a year had been misclassified and were significantly underpaid. Denver Labor helped recover $185,539.50 in restitution for 24 employees.

Our analysts at the Denver Zoo found a contractor, JRB Service, didn't pay the portion of the fringe benefits required by the Prevailing Wage Ordinance. The analyst assigned to the project met with the contractor and explained how to navigate wage determinations and fringe benefits for this specific construction project. As a result of our work, seven workers recovered $17,283.09.

The prevailing wage team reviews 100% of payroll records from city contractors on city construction projects. In this case, Denver Labor analysts at the Denver International Airport found that five workers employed by Flatiron Constructors, Inc. and operating hydraulic backhoes on a gate rehabilitation project were not receiving the full fringe portion listed in the prevailing wage rates for their classification. Prevailing wages include the base hourly rate and fringe benefit rate, and not paying the fringe benefit portion may result in a wage violation.

Denver Labor worked with the city contractor to make the workers whole. The contractor fully cooperated with our analysts and paid what they owed to workers as cash in lieu of fringe benefits. The case ended with five employees receiving $19,945.44 in restitution.

Down to Earth Compliance, a city contractor, was paying its workers below the prevailing wages for ironwork on a solar panel project. The business had new payroll staff members, and a Denver Labor analyst assigned to the project trained them to use LCPtracker, the city's certified payroll system. We worked with them to calculate the total underpayment. The case closed with the contractor quickly returning $34,182.18 to 21 workers.

The prevailing wage team at the Denver International Airport found that workers performing electrical work at concourse expansion projects didn't receive full fringe benefit amounts. City contractors are required to pay their workers the total of both the base pay and fringe benefit amounts for each hour worked on a city project, including any overtime hours worked. After we found that the contractor was not complying with this requirement, our team worked cooperatively with the company to obtain accurate documentation, approve fringes retroactively, and calculate restitution for the underpaid workers. More than 30 workers recovered a total of $51,280.22.

The prevailing wage team at Denver International Airport identified a city contractor that was underpaying 19 workers in charge of painting the main Terminal to Concourse A. The company Four Star Drywall was not paying the correct wages after the contract anniversary date, when prevailing wages may be subject to an update. The case ended with 19 workers receiving $23,834.69 in restitution.

The prevailing wage team audits all certified payrolls from contractors working on construction projects at Denver International Airport. In this case, they found that Sys-Kool LLC was misclassifying its workers doing repair work for cooling towers. Denver Labor worked with the contractor and recovered $3,055.15 in restitution for four workers.

Denver's Civil Wage Theft Ordinance adopts an "up-the-chain accountability" approach. This means that any employer who ultimately benefits from a worker's labor may be required to pay their wages. Denver Labor's prevailing wage division recently notified the civil wage theft division of a city subcontractor named Tri-M Electric that did not pay its workers restitution for the work they performed. Our teams collaborated and applied the "up-the-chain accountability" approach to the primary contractor for the project. Our office educated the company on its responsibilities with subcontractors and the Civil Wage Theft Ordinance, including how this ordinance also applies to the City and County of Denver's prevailing wage projects. The primary contractor understood and promptly paid restitution of $5,722.82 for seven employees.

A contractor at the Denver Zoo was underpaying their custodial workers because they were classified as laborers. The Prevailing Wage Ordinance requires contractors to classify their workers based on the tasks they perform. Denver Labor noticed the mistake and helped recover $10,000 for 35 employees.

Denver’s prevailing wage ordinance requires apprentices to work with journeymen at a 1:1 radio, which means one apprentice to one journeyman for all hours worked on the city’s construction projects. A contractor at Denver International Airport did not comply with this requirement by employing apprentices at a rate greater than journeymen. After Denver Labor’s investigation, the employer had to pay the corrected journeymen rate to the employees. As a result, 31 employees received over $30,000 in restitution.

A team member in our prevailing wage division found that a city contractor classified and paid an employee as an apprentice for three months before registering them in an approved apprenticeship program. Denver’s Prevailing Wage ordinance requires all apprentices to be enrolled in an apprenticeship program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Apprentice Training. Until the employee received the required apprentice certificate, the employee should have been classified and paid as a journey worker for all work performed on the prevailing wage project. After identifying the issue, Denver Labor helped recover $2,653.68 in restitution for the employee.

Employees working on trash removal services and disposal site contracts obtained $207,428.94 in restitution. The prevailing wage team found that workers were classified correctly. However, the contractor failed to meet prevailing wage requirements by claiming fringe credit that had not been approved by our office.

Fringes are guaranteed benefits that the employer provides for the employee’s health and welfare, such as health insurance, paid time off or 401K. Contractors must translate these benefits into an hourly fringe credit, which must be approved by our prevailing wage analyst to count toward their prevailing wage requirements.

Denver Labor worked cooperatively with the contractor to obtain accurate documentation, approve fringes retroactively, and calculate restitution for 35 employees.

A contractor performing custodial work at the Denver Zoo significantly underpaid its employees resulting in $85,826.48 owed to 21 employees. The contractor started performing the custodial work at the Denver Zoo before the Auditor’s Office discovered that neither the contract nor the contractor had not been set-up in our compliance software. The contractor had not submitted certified payroll records for our review. The underpayments were the result of the contractor paying its employees less than the custodian prevailing wage. The contractor was very cooperative and issued restitution checks expeditiously.

The Auditor’s Office enforces Davis-Bacon compliance on City and County of Denver/federal projects. In one recent case, an out-of-state crane contractor employing a power equipment operator for cranes on a Davis-Bacon project underpaid its employee. As a result, one employee received $7,043.41 in restitution

A contractor at Denver International Airport was deducting $250 in $50.00 increments from employees’ paychecks as a deposit in case employees don’t return their badges within the allotted timeframe upon termination of employment. Badge fees are considered a cost of doing business and cannot be charged upfront or considered a condition of employment. Badge fees may only be charged back to the employee if an employee loses their badge during employment, and if the contractor can provide an invoice from Denver International Airport Security and a signed statement from the employee. Denver Labor collected restitution for 48 employees totaling $11,350.00.

A contractor installing a solar system at the Denver International Airport misclassified their employees as roofers instead of electricians, which resulted in a significant underpayment for the workers. The minimum prevailing wage rate for roofers was $16.56 compared to the $52.68 prevailing wage that the contractor was required to pay for electrical work, which increased to $54.97 after the project’s wage anniversary. This resulted in an underpayment of up to $38.41 per hour for the workers. After the investigation, the Denver Labor analyst team recovered $9,575.22 in total restitution payment to 7 employees.

Denver Labor was contacted by an employee who had concerns about his fringe benefits. After conducting an investigation, which included meeting with the employer and union, a labor analyst was able to identify a significant underpayment to workers at Denver’s airport, including the need for $270,000 in restitution to a union pension plan. The investigation was highly cooperative, and all parties are working together to ensure payment of the restitution.

After failing to submit certified payroll for nine months, an asphalt company submitted the proper documents. We found the contractor underpaid seven employees by more than a total of $18,000. Initially, the contractor calculated the restitution owed as greater than the actual amount due. But our office worked with the contractor to calculate the correct amount so they could pay the actual restitution owed.

A company installing solar panels on a roof failed to pay the correct fringe benefit amounts into their employees’ 401(k) plans, resulting in a $2,200 total underpayment for 10 employees. Any fringe benefits claimed by a contractor must be approved and validated by Denver Prevailing Wage.

Our office received notice of a solar panel installation project, which began in January 2019, at Denver International Airport from employees completing the work. Upon further investigation, we discovered the contractor had not submitted certified payrolls for the work performed. The contractor was then notified and required to submit certified payrolls.

After the submission, our analysts determined not all employees were reported and the majority of the employees were misclassified according to prevailing wage and paid as “laborers,” as opposed to “electricians.” In March 2020, our team collected restitution for 62 employees totaling $104,350.

A large earth-moving contractor employing power equipment operators and laborers paid more than $15,000 in total restitution to 37 employees. Our analysts determined the company was claiming unapproved fringe benefits, resulting in a failure to meet prevailing wage requirements. One trackhoe operator received almost $2,000 in back pay.

An out-of-state contractor attempted to reduce the pay of an employee who was working in Denver by subtracting their travel expenses, resulting in a prevailing wage violation. The employee received more than $3,800 in restitution.

An electrical contractor had two apprentices working without journeymen on a city project for one day, resulting in a $350 prevailing wage underpayment. All apprentices working alone must be paid the journeyman prevailing wage rate.