Denver's minimum wage is $19.29 — and it follows the shift, not the worker.
Denver City & County's local minimum wage is $19.29/hour in 2026, well above Colorado's $15.16 state minimum. The rule applies to any shift located inside Denver — regardless of where the worker lives or where the employer is headquartered. Get the routing wrong and you owe the difference plus penalties.
Denver Minimum Wage Routing
Auto-applies Denver's $19.29/hr minimum wage to any shift located inside Denver city & county boundaries, regardless of worker home base or employer HQ. Geofences clock-in to the shift location.
What those rules do when a shift is located in Denver.
The hero card configuration: Block on save below local minimum, Flag on shift assignment. Here's what each does at runtime.
When a manager tries to save a Denver-located shift at a pay rate below $19.29 (or $16.27 tipped), the save fails. "Cannot save: rate is below Denver minimum wage." No override.
When a worker accepts a Denver shift, the timesheet entry tags with the applicable Denver rate. Payroll uses this tag — not the worker's default rate — to calculate pay.
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Shift location controls. Period.
Denver's Local Minimum Wage Ordinance applies to any work performed within Denver City & County boundaries. The worker's residence, the employer's HQ, and the contract terms are all irrelevant.
Geographic scope
The rule applies to time spent working inside Denver City & County limits. Travel time within Denver counts; travel between sites that pass through Denver may also count depending on whether the worker is on the clock.
Tipped employees
Denver's tipped minimum is $16.27 in 2026 (a $3.02 tip credit max, matching the state). Tips received plus cash wage must always equal at least the full Denver minimum of $19.29.
Teambridge geofences the wage to the shift, not the worker.
Wage routing is location-driven. Teambridge applies the highest applicable minimum (federal, state, or local) based on where the work is performed — not where the worker or employer is based.
Wage rate set by location.
When a shift is created with a Denver address, Teambridge auto-applies the $19.29 minimum as the floor. Saving a rate below this is blocked, with no override available.
Rate follows the shift.
When a worker accepts a Denver shift, their default rate is overridden by the shift's local rate. The worker sees their actual Denver pay rate before accepting, not their base rate.
Verifies the work happened in Denver.
On clock-in, geolocation confirms the worker is at the Denver site. If clock-in happens outside the geofence, the timesheet flags for review — preventing both wage fraud and accidental underpayment.
Per-segment rate calculation.
If a shift covers multiple locations (e.g., a security patrol crossing into and out of Denver), hours inside Denver pay $19.29 and hours outside pay the applicable rate. Calculated per segment, not as an average.
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