Did you know that Colorado employers can require employees to attend meetings where they are forced to listen to the employer’s political or religious beliefs? It happens every day, and workers understandably fear that their jobs are at risk if they don’t attend these meetings and adopt the employer’s viewpoint.
These meetings are used by employers to inappropriately convey their positions on issues that are completely unrelated to job tasks or performance. Employers intimidate and coerce workers to attend these meetings with threats of retaliation or discipline, and more. These meetings, also called “captive audience” meetings, affect workers from all political parties, backgrounds, and industries.
Now, we have a chance to hold bad employers accountable. A new bill, HB24-1260, The Worker Freedom Act, has been introduced in the Colorado Legislature.
Here’s what it does:
- Protects the free speech of workers by allowing them to opt out of mandatory political or religious meetings without the fear of retaliation or financial harm.
- Requires posting of employees’ rights related to this law in the workplace.
- Holds employers accountable by allowing aggrieved individuals to bring claims in district court.
This is a huge opportunity for workers across Colorado, and we have to TAKE ACTION and urge our legislators to vote SÍ on this historic bill! We’ve made it very easy to do this. By clicking below, you’ll be taken to a simple form with a pre-drafted message to legislators and all you’ll need to do is fill in your information and click send! Can you take a few seconds to send this email?
No worker should live in fear that they will lose their livelihood if they refuse to attend an employer-mandated meeting on religious or political matters, but it continues to happen every day across our state and country.
Captive audience meetings are an affront to worker freedom and no employee should be retaliated against for not attending or participating. Together, we can protect workers across Colorado and give them the right to refuse them outright.
➡️ CLICK HERE to learn more about the Worker Freedom Act and DOWNLOAD our informational Flyer below:
