How R&H Helped a Business Avoid a Costly Wage Demand Fight

Sometimes, the wisest legal move is the one that keeps your business out of the legal system altogether. That was the situation for our client, a business owner whose former employee demanded pay for two days of previously requested paid time off. 

Our client believed they were in the right—that they didn’t owe this individual money. Being right, though, would have cost our client far more than just cutting a check for two days’ pay. 

Fortunately, Robinson & Henry was there to help the business owner look at the big picture and provide strategic legal advice. 

At the beginning of our first meeting, our client was understandably reluctant to concede. However, a simple cost-benefit analysis changed their mind.  We showed them that they would spend far more fighting the wage demand than simply paying it. 

Wage claims in Colorado can trigger penalties and fee-shifting for employers under the state’s Wage Protection Act. This alone can quickly push the cost of contesting a small demand far beyond the amount originally requested. But we also explained that fighting the demand could invite a claim with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, which could ultimately pull our client into litigation far more costly than the demand itself. 

In the end, our client took our advice, paying out the vacation time and putting the matter behind them in the most cost-effective way possible.