Workers under 18 can be paid 85% of state minimum — under specific conditions.
Colorado allows employers to pay non-tipped workers under 18 at 85% of the state minimum wage ($12.89/hour in 2026). The cap applies only to state minimum, not local minimum wages — so a Denver shift still requires the full $19.29 even for minors. The exception has narrow eligibility.
Minor 85% Wage Cap (Under 18)
Allows pay rate of 85% of state minimum wage for workers under 18 in non-tipped roles, where local minimum wage doesn't apply.
What the rule does when scheduling a minor worker.
The hero card configuration: Block below 85% of state minimum, Flag on minor eligibility.
When a manager tries to save a shift for a minor at less than $12.89/hr (85% of $15.16), the save fails. The same applies if the shift is in a local jurisdiction — in that case, the local rate applies and the 85% cap doesn't reduce it.
A worker's record tags as 85%-eligible based on age. The tag persists until the worker turns 18, at which point it auto-expires.
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85% applies only against state minimum, only in non-tipped roles.
The youth subminimum is narrow. It's a state-level concession that local jurisdictions don't have to honor.
Eligibility
Worker must be under 18 at the time of work performance. Worker must be in a non-tipped role. The role must not be subject to higher local minimums (which override the cap).
Local minimum override
Where a local minimum wage applies (Denver, Edgewater, Boulder County, etc.), that local rate applies fully — the 85% cap does NOT reduce local minimums.
Teambridge applies the 85% cap only where it legitimately applies.
The complexity isn't tracking the worker's age — it's making sure the cap doesn't get applied where it shouldn't.
85%-eligible status auto-applied.
Workers under 18 are tagged as 85%-eligible at hire (based on date of birth). The tag is one of multiple rate determinants — not the controlling one.
Rate is the highest applicable.
When a shift is created, Teambridge calculates the applicable rate as the highest of: 85% of state minimum (if eligible), full state minimum (if not), local minimum (if shift is in a local jurisdiction). Local always wins where it applies.
Tag auto-expires.
On the day a worker turns 18, the 85%-eligible tag auto-expires. New shifts use full minimum from that point forward — not the next pay period.
Tipped roles bypass the cap entirely.
If a worker is in a tipped role (configured per-role in the system), the 85% cap doesn't apply regardless of age. Tipped minimum and tip credit reconciliation rules apply instead.
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