Businesses that short their workers no longer protected by trade secrets law

Finding out which businesses cheat workers out of their fairly-earned wages – whether making them work off the clock, not paying overtime or not paying them at all – has been next to impossible in Colorado for 100 years. State law allows that information to stay secret under the guise of “trade secrets.”

But those who treat their workers fairly claim that creates an unfair competitive advantage, and teamed up with lawmakers at the state Capitol to open up the books.

The Wage Theft Transparency Act lacks only the signature of the governor to become official. Under the proposed law, violations of Colorado’s wage laws will now become a matter of public record, open to anyone who asks the Department of Labor and Employment for that information. The bill’s House sponsor, Democratic Rep. Jessie Danielson of Wheat Ridge, told The Colorado Independent she believes the governor will sign the measure in the coming weeks.

The way the law works now: the department investigates claims of wage theft and makes a decision about whether the business has committed a violation. Currently, if the department determines the business has violated the law, that information is kept confidential.

Read more: http://www.coloradoindependent.com/164762/wage-theft-transparency