Colorado Employment Agreement / Offer Letter (2026)

A job offer letter or full employment agreement with pay, benefits, confidentiality, IP and restrictive covenants drafted to your state's non-compete, sick-leave and pay-timing rules.

Updated September 11, 2026≈ 10 minReviewed against C.R.S. § 8-2-113 · C.R.S. § 8-4-103 · C.R.S. § 8-4-109

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What you'll get

Sample first page of the Employment Agreement / Offer Letter. Your answers fill in the blanks; the clauses required in Colorado are added automatically.

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What this document covers

Offer letter or full employment agreement in one wizard
Position, duties, location and start date
At-will or fixed term
Exempt / non-exempt status with FLSA overtime note
Salary or hourly pay, bonus and commission plan
Benefits, PTO and state paid sick leave
Confidentiality, DTSA notice and IP assignment with state carve-outs
Non-solicitation and state-compliant non-compete
Termination, final pay timing and return of property
Optional arbitration, governing law, state new-hire notices

Colorado rules that this document follows

Non-compete rule	Limited — void below $130,014.00/yr (2026); 14 calendar days' advance noticeSource: C.R.S. § 8-2-113
Invention-assignment carve-out	No statute — agreement controlsSource: No state invention-assignment statute; common law and the agreement control (own-time inventions unrelated to the business generally remain the employee's)
Pay frequency	regular pay periods of no more than one calendar month or 30 days; wages due within 10 days after the period endsSource: C.R.S. § 8-4-103(1)
Final paycheck	Discharged: immediately (or within 6 hours of the start of the next workday if payroll is off-site; 24 hours if off-site payroll). Resigned: next regular payday.Source: C.R.S. § 8-4-109
Paid sick leave	Healthy Families and Workplaces Act — 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year (plus up to 80 hours public-health emergency leave) (all employers)Source: C.R.S. §§ 8-13.3-401 to 8-13.3-418
Pay transparency	Pay range required in job postings (all employers with at least one Colorado employee)Source: C.R.S. § 8-5-201
New-hire wage notice	None requiredSource: No statutory new-hire wage notice; FLSA posting and this Agreement's pay terms suffice
Exempt salary floor	$1,111.23/week ($57,784.00/yr, 2026) — COMPS Order #39 / PAY CALC Order (indexed)Source: 7 CCR 1103-1 § 2.5; 7 CCR 1103-14

Rules current as of 2026-09-14. Statutes change; verify before relying on them.

How to use this Employment Agreement / Offer Letter in Colorado

Decide exempt vs. non-exempt honestly: the salary floor and the duties test both matter, and misclassification is the most expensive payroll mistake.

Give the signed offer letter or agreement before the first day, and complete Form I-9 within three business days of the start date.

Non-compete timing: separate document, signed by the worker, delivered at least 14 days before the earlier of the effective date or the change in terms; must identify the agreement and the paragraph containing the covenant (C.R.S. § 8-2-113(4)) (C.R.S. § 8-2-113). Late delivery makes the covenant unenforceable; it is void anyway below $130,014.00 per year.

Pay transparency: Colorado requires the pay range in every job posting (C.R.S. § 8-5-201); the offer letter states the range you enter.

Frequently asked questions

Can I include a non-compete in Colorado?

Only within statutory limits (C.R.S. § 8-2-113): Void unless worker is highly compensated (≥ $130,014 in 2026) AND covenant protects trade secrets; separate written notice 14 days before effective date; $5,000 penalty per worker; physicians/dentists/APRNs/PAs barred (SB 25-083, eff. Aug. 6, 2025). The wizard omits the covenant when the employee's pay or status does not qualify and prints any required notice.

When is the final paycheck due in Colorado?

If discharged: immediately (or within 6 hours of the start of the next workday if payroll is off-site; 24 hours if off-site payroll). If the employee resigns: next regular payday (C.R.S. § 8-4-109). Wages must otherwise be paid regular pay periods of no more than one calendar month or 30 days; wages due within 10 days after the period ends (C.R.S. § 8-4-103(1)).

Does Colorado require paid sick leave?

Yes — Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (C.R.S. §§ 8-13.3-401 to 8-13.3-418): 1 hour per 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year (plus up to 80 hours public-health emergency leave); applies to all employers. Local ordinances: none — state law controls.

What salary makes an employee exempt in Colorado?

$1,111.23 per week ($57,784.00 per year) in 2026 — COMPS Order #39 / PAY CALC Order (indexed) (7 CCR 1103-1 § 2.5; 7 CCR 1103-14). The federal FLSA floor is $684 per week.

Does Colorado limit invention assignment?

No statute; the agreement's own carve-out for unrelated own-time inventions applies.

Other names

offer letter
job offer letter
employment contract
employee agreement
at-will employment agreement
executive employment agreement
hiring letter
work contract

Other states

FormsByState provides self-help document templates and general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. For advice about your situation consult a licensed attorney in your state.