City and County of Denver, CO
06/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/02/2026 10:33
Denver Labor committed to strip club workers' labor protections
Denver Labor committed to strip club workers' labor protections
Published on June 02, 2026
DENVER - On International Sex Workers Day, June 2, Denver Labor is reaffirming that all workers in Denver deserve the full wages to which they are legally entitled and protection from retaliation when asserting their rights, regardless of industry.
International Sex Workers Day commemorates the ongoing fight for dignity, safety, and labor protections for workers in sex work industries, including strip clubs. Denver Labor, a division of the Denver Auditor's Office, investigates and enforces wage and labor laws at Denver workplaces like strip clubs.
"Strip club workers should not endure wage theft, retaliation, or intimidation for speaking up about their rights," said Denver Auditor Timothy O'Brien, CPA. "They have the same rights and protections under the law as any other worker."
Last year, a Denver District Court upheld Denver Labor's authority to investigate wage theft claims involving strip club workers. Clarifying that strip club entertainers, bartenders, and servers are protected under Denver's labor laws.
Wage theft can include unpaid wages, unlawful deductions, withheld tips, or other violations of labor protections like illegal retaliation. Retaliation can include negative actions taken by club owners or managers to punish or intimidate workers exercising their workplace rights, like cutting a worker's hours, reducing available shifts, or harassing workers with overly harsh supervision.
"Strip club workers face unique barriers when attempting to report workplace concerns or seek legal protections. The industry historically lacks institutional supports for workers and strip club entertainers often face social stigma that can contribute to an exploitative work condition," said Denver Labor Executive Director Matt Fritz-Mauer. "But Denver Labor is here to help."
Denver Labor encourages workers experiencing wage theft or retaliation in strip clubs to learn more about their rights and available resources by visiting DenverGov.org/StripClub.
AUDITOR TIMOTHY O'BRIEN, CPA
Denver Auditor
Denver Auditor's Office
201 W. Colfax Ave. #705 Denver, CO 80202
Email: [email protected]
Call: 720-913-5000
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City and County of Denver, CO published this content on June 02, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 02, 2026 at 16:33 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]