Workforce
What Caregiver Retention Strategies Actually Work on a Small Budget?
Give caregivers the hours you promised, keep clients close, pay accurately and recognize good work. Twelve low-cost ideas and how to measure them.
Can a home care agency make caregivers sign a non-compete in Colorado?
Last verified October 17, 2026 · All Colorado resources
Banned below wage threshold. Colorado voids non-competes for workers earning less than $130,014 a year (2026), which covers typical caregivers. Customer non-solicitation clauses are also void below $78,008.40. Even above the thresholds, covenants must be needed to protect trade secrets. Employers that present or enforce void covenants face penalties of $5,000 per worker.
| Status | Banned below wage threshold |
|---|---|
| Wage threshold | Non-competes are void unless the worker is highly compensated: $130,014 in annualized cash compensation for 2026, both when signed and when enforced. Customer non-solicitation covenants require at least 60% of that amount ($78,008.40 in 2026). |
| Healthcare-specific rule | Since 2025-08-06 (SB25-083), the highly compensated exception no longer applies to covenants restricting the practice of medicine, advanced practice registered nursing or dentistry, so those are void. Providers may tell prior patients about their new practice. |
| Client non-solicitation | Customer non-solicitation covenants are allowed only for workers earning at least 60% of the highly compensated threshold ($78,008.40 in 2026) and only if no broader than reasonably necessary to protect trade secrets. |
| Notice requirements | The employer must give a separate written notice of the covenant and its terms to a prospective worker before they accept the offer, and to a current worker at least 14 days before the covenant or the related pay or job change takes effect. |
| Statute | C.R.S. § 8-2-113 |
| Latest change | 2025-08-06 |
What about a client hiring your caregiver directly?
That is usually handled in the client service agreement, not the caregiver's contract: some agencies charge a placement or conversion fee if a client hires a caregiver directly. Whether that clause is enforceable is a contract question, so have a local employment lawyer review it.
General information, not legal advice.
More for Colorado
Non-compete rules by state: other states
Related guides
Operations
What Should a Home Care Client Service Agreement Include?
Services, rates, minimums, cancellations, billing, overtime and termination, with a fill-in template and the state disclosure rules that shape it.
These free tools are made by the team behind Caregiver Scheduling, caregiver scheduling software for home care agencies.
Simple pricing
From $199 /month
Up to 10 caregivers on Starter, 50 on Growth.
More than 50 caregivers? We'll put together a custom Scale plan for your agency.