Labor Laws in Arizona

August 30th, 2006 Posted by Marilyn

Labor laws in Arizona are very similar to the laws in other states. These laws govern and regulate the payment of wages, approved working hours for children, breaks and meal breaks, workers’ compensation and vacation time. In addition, The Industrial Commission of Arizona (also called the ICA) is the state department that oversees the regulation of all labor laws in Arizona. These department works to see that employers are providing their workers with a safe and healthful working environment and that all employees are treated fairly under the laws.

An issue that concerns all employees has to do with the payment of wages. Employees work to make money and the labor laws of Arizona can ensure that these workers are paid the amount that is required and in a satisfactory amount of time. For example, labor laws in Arizona clearly state that all employers in the state must compensate (pay) their workers at least two times per month. This time period should not exceed longer than 16 days. In addition, wage payment should be within five working days when the pay period ends.

Employers are encouraged to give their employees a clear pay schedule so that the will know exactly when and where they are to be paid. If the scheduled on or before a holiday, the company is required by law to pay employees on or before the date of the holiday. Employees should not have to wait until after the holiday to receive their compensation.

Also, when doing some research into labor laws in Arizona, I found that the State of Arizona does not have a state minimum wage policy or a law that governs overtime. This means that the Fair Labor Standards Act covers all workers in Arizona, which is a federal guideline. Workers will receives pay based on the federal minimum wage law.

Last 10 posts by Marilyn

« Labor Laws in Alaska
Labor Laws in Arkansas »
Posted in Arizona, Arizona, Compliance Issues, Employer Requirements, Labor Law Regulations

  1. Posted by: Ada

    Message

    I was wondering if it is legal for your employer to alter the time clocks to show an employee’s over time as adjusted pay so that your employer does not have to pay you overtime to not go over there company budget.

  2. Posted by: Cara

    Hi Ada! If I understand you correctly, the manager is altering payroll records to pay workers straight time for all hours worked, even if the employee puts in more than 40 hours in a single week. This would be a violation of the federal FLSA, which requires overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 per week. For a moer complete discussion, feel free to post your question on our sister site for employees at http://www.laborlawtalk.com. And, thanks for reading out blogs!~ Cara

  3. Posted by: andrew

    Can a employer work you 7 and a half hours without giving a lunch in the state of Arizona?

  4. Posted by: Cara

    Hi Andrew! Yes. Arizona has no break law, and no breaks are required for most occupations under federal law. So an Arizona employer could require a worker to put in 24 hours without a meal break. Of course, that is not a best practice in the HR world. Breaks improve employee productivity. If circumstances make it impossible for employees to take a meal break, they should be permitted to snack while working. But, there is no law that requires it in Arizona. HTH, and thanks for reading the blogs!~ Cara

    BTW, you can also post your quesiton on our sister site at http://www.laborlawtalk.com, for a more complete answer.

  5. Posted by: Jackie

    Hello. Wonderng if it is legal for a hair place to take money out of my daughter’s check because her till was short?? Thank you.

  6. Posted by: Cara

    Hi Jackie! In Arizona, as in several other states, this may be legal. Usually the employee must sign an authorization that permits the employer to deduct shortages from her paycheck, but often this authorization is part of the employee handbook, which the employee signs off on during the first day or two of employment. As long as no one but your daughter had access to the till, this is probably legal. If other people were also making change from the till (even the manager) than the employer cannot hold your daughter solely responsible. And, if the deduction results in your daughter being paid less than the federal minimum wage for the hours that she worked during the week, then it is probably not legal under federal law. You can also post questions on our sister site at http://www.laborlawtalk.com. HTH, and thanks for reading the blogs! ~ Cara

  7. Posted by: Michael Arrowsmith

    I quit my job for personal reasons. When i called on payday, the manager said the owners were sending my check to me. when i received my check, (a week after payday), the envelope included a letter stating, ” It has been brought to our attention that you were giving away free meals to the employees every night without authorization. it was also brought to our attention that you were making yourself meals in the morning, afternoons and evenings without paying for it. we also have statements from employees that you said they could make their own food and not have to pay for it. also, there was food thrown away by you without authorization and proper accounting.
    Instead of filing a criminal complaint with the police department and putting you through that stress we decided to take a payroll deduction for the amount of meals you gave away or ate yourself without paying for. this is a very modest amount as our calculations come out much higher.”

    I was a salaried sous chef, $500. per week plus free meals. I never gave anything away.
    On my check stub there is an “account payment” deduction for $600.

    I am seriously doubting this is legal, so what do I do now?
    is he liable for the wages owed to me?

  8. Posted by: Amelia

    Hi Michael! Yes, the Arizona employer must pay all the wages you are owed. He is bluffing when he says he will call the police. Unless you were carrying cases of steaks out the back door, or lavishly treating your friends to free restaurant meals, this is not illegal — even if you were guilty of all the charges. The police may take a report, but they are not going to press charges. Having a high food cost may be poor performance — it’s not theft.
    Contact the Industrial Commission of Arizona and file a wage complaint because the employer has not paid your full wages. They will investigate and force him to pay up.
    FYI, most restaurants provide one free meal per shift to employees, including chefs. And tickets are required for employee meals at a well-managed restaurant. HTH, and thanks for reading the blogs!~ Amelia

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