Colorado Overtime & Pay Standards (COMPS)
Colorado labor laws (COMPS Order) provide protections that exceed federal standards. A key difference is the daily overtime trigger.
Reviewed by the Time Card Maker editorial team:
Time-and-a-half (1.5x) applies after working 12 hours in one workday.
Time-and-a-half (1.5x) applies after working 40 hours in one workweek.
Colorado law does not mandate double-time pay.
Colorado Overtime & Pay Standards (COMPS) in plain language
Colorado’s general overtime comparison includes hours above 40 in a workweek, above 12 in a workday, or above 12 consecutive hours, using the route that produces the higher payment. The consecutive-hours trigger matters when a shift crosses a workday boundary.
Key terms for this calculation
- Workday
- The employer’s fixed 24-hour period used to measure daily overtime.
- Consecutive hours
- A continuous span of work that can cross from one defined workday into the next.
- COMPS Order
- Colorado’s wage-and-hour order covering overtime, exemptions, breaks, and related requirements.
Colorado Overtime & Pay Standards (COMPS): worked example
A covered employee earns $22 per hour and works one 13-consecutive-hour shift while remaining below 40 weekly hours.
- 12 straight-time hours × $22 = $264
- 1 overtime hour × $33 = $33
- Estimated shift wages = $264 + $33
$297 before deductions under the general consecutive-hours trigger.
The calculator estimates daily and weekly tiers; manually review a shift crossing a workday boundary because the separate 12-consecutive-hour trigger may control.
How employees and employers can use this page
Employee time-card review
Retain continuous timestamps for long and overnight shifts. A day-by-day report can hide the consecutive-hours trigger.
Employer payroll review
Compare weekly, workday, and consecutive-hour results and preserve actual punch sequences under the current COMPS/PAY CALC order.
Common calculation and recordkeeping errors
- Checking only weekly totals.
- Splitting an overnight shift and overlooking 12 consecutive hours.
- Averaging unrelated workweeks.
Four-step overtime audit
- Identify coverage.
- Confirm workday and workweek.
- Review every continuous shift above 12 hours.
- Compare applicable routes and use the higher payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Colorado have daily overtime?
Colorado generally requires overtime after 12 hours in a workday, after 12 consecutive hours, or after 40 hours in a workweek, using the calculation that produces the higher payment.
What about breaks?
Employees are entitled to a 10-minute paid rest period for every 4 hours of work.
Related calculators and guides
Calculate Your Paycheck
Use our free calculator to see exactly how these rules apply to your hours. It automatically handles overtime math for Colorado Overtime & Pay Standards (COMPS).
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