Colorado recently expanded its list of qualifying reasons employees may take leave under its Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA). Senate Bill 23-017, signed into law June 1, 2023, now allows an employee to take HFWA protected leave for these additional – non-health related – reasons: 

• “grieve, attend funeral services or a memorial,” or address “financial and legal matters that arise after the death of a family member;” 

• “care for a family member whose school or place of care has been closed due to inclement weather, loss of power, loss of heating, loss of water, or other unexpected occurrence or event that results in the closure of the family member’s school or place of care;” or 

• “evacuate the employee’s residence due to inclement weather, loss of power, loss of heating, loss of water, or other unexpected occurrence or event that results in the need to evacuate the employee’s residence.” 

The new law takes effect August 7, 2023. Colorado employers should begin now revising existing HFWA (and other related policies that may be impacted such as bereavement and inclement weather) polices to include these additional qualifying reasons.