‘Extremely disappointing’: This Denver dad claims he was fired from his job for taking state family leave benefits — hundreds of others have also complained about ‘retaliation’

How the Colorado FAMLI Act works

Colorado's Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program, or FAMLI, is funded by a fee of 0.9% of the employee's wage, which is split between the employers and employees. The act allows workers to apply for leave after the birth of a child, for medical issues, to care for a family member, and domestic violence victims escaping their abusers. The Colorado Department of Employment told Steve on Your Side that 50,000 parents have applied for up to 12 weeks of paid leave since the program launched in January.

It also offers job protection while an employee is on leave to prevent retaliation — or it's supposed to. The site also directs users to file a complaint if they experience retaliation and states employers who act unlawfully may be liable for monetary damages and to rehire workers they retaliate against.

But now, the state has told Tartar he was never eligible because he was unemployed when the leave started — and they want him to pay back the more than $3,400 he's already received.

Kiss your credit card debt goodbye

Millions of Americans are struggling to crawl out of debt in the face of record-high interest rates. A personal loan offers lower interest rates and fixed payments, making it a smart choice to consolidate high-interest credit card debt. It helps save money, simplifies payments, and accelerates debt payoff. Credible is a free online service that shows you the best lending options to pay off your credit card debt fast — and save a ton in interest.

Explore better rates

More than 200 families claim similar retaliation after taking leave

Tartar believes his employer retaliated against him for taking leave and filed a complaint with the state — and he's not alone. The Steve On Your Side team discovered that 203 families have complained to the state about similar retaliation since the program began offering benefits in January 2024.

Nearly 160 complaints, including Tartar's, were dismissed. The rest are under investigation or have been voluntarily dismissed.

According to Tartar's employer, he was fired for other reasons, though documentation submitted in response to his complaint was limited.

“They've designed a system that gives that employer anywhere from a week to two weeks to decide, 'I don't want this person to get these benefits,' and then they can just fire you in whatever manner they please,” Tartar said. “What was supposed to be a fun and enjoy[able] trip turned in to be extremely stressful.”

Tartar's experience is leaving many to question whether the program truly protects employees from retaliation — or if more safeguards are needed to protect families already in a vulnerable position.