labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Did you collect Arizona unemployment benefits last year?  Many people have been laid off due to company downsizing.  This happens every year to many.  The disruption to income can be very stressful to deal with while searching for a new job, and that is why the government provides the unemployment benefit.

While some people have taxes withheld while receiving unemployment income, many do not.  Taxes must be paid on the benefit.  Forms numbered 1099 were mailed in January to those who collected Arizona unemployment benefits in 2006.  This statement is a record of the total paid out, and any court ordered deductions and taxes withheld.

If you claimed unemployment benefits last year, you are responsible to pay taxes on the money.  You should have gotten a 1099 statement from the Arizona department of labor by this point.  If you did not get one, you should contact their office.  Within one week of verifying your address with them, your form should arrive.

If you own a business, you may be issuing 1099 statements as well.  This form can be used to record payments made to independent contractors, freelance workers, or anyone who provided service to the business that is not a regular employee.  If you are the one who provided a personal service to a business, you may or may not receive this form.  Regardless of the receipt of this statement, you will have to pay taxes on your income profits.

When filing taxes, be sure to include the income that is on your 1099.  It is a government record created to assist you in keeping track of your income if you are not the employee of a business that will issue you a W-2.  Both federal and state taxes may be required.

As we were saying, there were a few states that passed laws this past November, care of their voters, on smoking in public. The laws in effect prohibit smoking in all public places, including bars, restaurants and most importantly for you employers, in the work place. Arizona was one such state whose voters passed the law last November. The Arizona law is a complete ban on smoking in public. It is slated to go into effect this May 2007, so employers, it’s about time to get prepared for this smoking prohibition.

One of the things that might have to happen for employers in the state of Arizona is that you might have to consider a no smoking poster collection for your multiple office sites, warehouses, factories, and such. These posters will clearly show that you comply with the letter of the law when it kicks into effect this coming May.

You should also be aware that some states make posters that explain the state smoking policy mandatory and part of the set of state labor law compliance posters. For instance, among the multitude of state posters that California requires—such as the minimum wage poster, the discrimination notice, the OSHA Health and Safety Protection Poster, and the State Disability Poster—the state of California also requires a poster called the Smoking Policy Poster.

It comes in the California complete labor law poster collection, so most employers smart enough to buy their posters in such a package deal get this poster without having to sweat it too much. And keep in mind that Arizona has not required such a poster yet. But it could be down the road and in the very least something that you might want to prepare for, and something that you’ll want to prepare your employees for.

An Arizona community colleges recently received a grant to train unemployed workers for the 21^st century. The grant of nearly 2 million dollars was from the U.S. Department of Labor. The grant is one of several in a program across the U.S. to train workers for high-demand occupations, including construction, healthcare, advanced manufacturing and energy.

The Arizona Dept. of Labor grants were given based on a competition between 429 schools.According to U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, “Community colleges are vital partners in educating and preparing workers for good jobs in their local area.”

The Arizona Dept. of Labor grant goes to the Central Arizona College for healthcare education programs. The school, located in Coolidge Arizona, has a long history of successful scholarship. The grant is for 1,985,204.

The purpose of the Arizona Dept. of Labor grants is to increase worker skills in the area, especially in high-demand areas such as healthcare. To date, more than 104 awards have been made since the program’s inception in 2005.  Skilled workers can enter growing industries and contribute to economic success. The community college’s ability to equip workers with the skills that are most in demand is crucial to our nation’s success. 

“The $125 million these 72 community college partnerships will receive under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Initiative is going to help workers succeed in careers in health care, advanced manufacturing and other growing industries,” said Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.

The program was introduced by President George W. Bush in his 2004 State of the Union Address. The Arizona Dept. of Labor grants are part of over $125 million for 72 community colleges in 34 states awarded under the President’s Community-based Job Training Grants initiative. 

“Today’s awards recall the imperative that businesses and the workforce system team up with their region’s community colleges to ensure that workers are armed with the right skills to thrive in the 21st century economy,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “Community colleges are closely tied to the areas they serve, and they have proven themselves adept at responding to the regional workforce demands of numerous industries.”  

It was not too difficult to find the Arizona (AZ) labor laws over the internet. Many of these labor laws can be found displayed in the workplace. There are many required posters that are used to inform employees of their rights due to the AZ labor laws. These posters must be displayed in conspicuous areas throughout the workplace where employees have easy access to them. This is why many employers place them around areas like the break room or the time clock. 

One labor law I found to be a bit strange deals with frequency of paying employees. Due to an AZ labor law, employers are required to pay employees of the business at least twice per month. The law goes even further, stating that payments cannot be made more than 16 days apart! In most workplaces, where payroll is done internally, the employer must pay everyone working for them within 5 days of the end of any given pay period. This law affects how employers pay around a holiday, as well, as they cannot pay after a holiday if that makes the time between two paydays greater than 16 days! 

For their minimum wage and overtime laws, the state of Arizona turns to the federal government. AZ labor laws do not spell out a minimum wage or overtime law in the state, so employers follow the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

There is also the labor law in Arizona stating that all employees are covered by Unemployment Insurance. If a worker in Arizona becomes unemployed, he or she may be able to receive unemployment benefits, if he or she qualifies. 

Many more Arizona (AZ) Labor Laws are on the books, including child labor laws. If you want a better idea of all the labor laws in this state, check out the AZ labor law posters. You can find federal labor laws and Arizona labor laws on the Arizona Complete Labor Law Poster, as well. 

I hope you’ll take a minute or two so that I can help you understand the requirements for keeping your Arizona posters up to date. Part of the basic information about the posters is that employers must place them in a common area, where workers meet on a regular basis or gather for lunch, for example.  Remember that laws can and do change, and laws are sometimes amended slightly each year.  Therefore, keeping the Arizona posters current can be very important. 

Any changes in information or in what is required of the employer or employee can be passed on to the workers through the Arizona posters.  These posters are designed to keep employees informed about their specific labor rights but it is up to the employer to put them in a place where they can be easily seen.  The Arizona posters required by law include Workers’ Compensation, Unemployment Insurance, Discrimination Notice, Work Exposure to Bodily Fluids, Constructive Discharge Notice, OSHA-Health and Safety Protection. 

Employers should understand that there are definite federal requirements as well.  These include USERRA – Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law, Federal Minimum Wage, Employee Polygraph Protection Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and OSHA-Job Safety & Health Protection.  Companies are now required to inform employees of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA) and Arizona posters can help meet this federal requirement. 

USERRA posters tell veterans and their employers how the law affects those in the armed services, reserves, and National Guard.  The new law went into effect in February 2005 and states that members of the armed services may reclaim their civilian employment upon returning from military service.  This can be very important for both the worker and the employer, and that is why the USERRA poster should be part of the Arizona posters displayed.  In addition, if there is a labor inspection, the inspector may check to see if the posters are up to date.  Not only does this make sure that the employer is following both state and federal rules but it also advises the worker of their employment rights.  For this reason, it is in the employer’s best interest to keep the information updated. 

This may be the right time to check out your Arizona posters to see if any laws or information have changed since the last time they were posted. Laws specific to health and safety, polygraph tests, and unemployment can and do change.  If so, this new information needs to be provided to the employee.  One of the best ways to get this information to the employee is by properly displaying the Arizona posters.