Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, COVID, Health, News, Politics and Government

Proposition 118 explained: Paid-leave measure would give Colorado workers time off but cost big money

Eight months into a pandemic, Colorado voters will decide an issue made even more relevant by current circumstances. Should Colorado create a state-run family leave program that would allow all workers — from waitresses and mechanics to accountants and engineers — to take paid time off when they have a serious illness, need to care […]

Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns

Opinion: A strong paid family leave policy will help rebuild Colorado’s economy

Today, we celebrate Colorado dads from Denver to Pueblo to Grand Junction. No doubt fathers everywhere will receive some well-deserved gratitude, spend time with family and friends, and maybe even enjoy a delicious meal from the grill. But what about tomorrow and the day after? Tomorrow we’ll stop celebrating, and go right back to the […]

Posted inBusiness, COVID, Health, Politics and Government

Colorado lawmakers focus on essential workers amid coronavirus, push to make paid sick leave a right for all

To lift public health restrictions and reopen Colorado, Democratic lawmakers say the first step is to protect essential workers like Mirja McDade in the retail and service industries. McDade’s past jobs in the restaurant industry didn’t include paid sick time, so she worked regardless of her health. “The food industry is probably the worst as […]

Posted inBusiness, COVID, News, Politics and Government

Coronavirus put an end to Colorado’s paid family leave bill. But there’s a lot more to the story.

Gov. Jared Polis made it clear he wanted any government-mandated family-leave program in Colorado to use the private market, a setup that would require businesses to buy insurance to cover employee time off for a new baby or illness.  Then he didn’t have time to deal with it.  That’s one major reason the proposal — […]

Posted inBusiness, COVID, News, Politics and Government, Technology

A plea by Colorado tech firms for a faster response to coronavirus goes national

Just after Colorado identified its first case of coronavirus 12 days ago, Denver companies Ibotta and Guild Education were telling employees to work from home.  As more cases were identified locally, a growing group of technology executives began maneuvering behind the scenes. They were concerned that efforts to prevent COVID-19’s spread to vulnerable communities wasn’t […]