Arizona Unemployment

February 26th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

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.

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Smoking News in Arizona

January 26th, 2007 Posted by Mark

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.

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Arizona Dept. of Labor Grants

January 23rd, 2007 Posted by Amelia

An Arizona community colleges recently received a grant to train unemployed workers for the 21st 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.”  

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Arizona (AZ) State Poster Compliance Regulation

September 8th, 2006 Posted by Lindsay

You probably already know about the Arizona (AZ) Employment Labor Poster requirement. The state of Arizona requires certain labor law posters to be placed in a conspicuous place, like in an employee break room, so that everyone can see them. In fact, you may be so used to seeing these posters sprinkled throughout the workplace that you don’t 3even notice them any more. But the presence of Arizona Employemnet Labor Posters is extremely important, both for employers and workers. 

The Arizona (AZ) Employment Labor Posters have specific laws that relate to employment. The posters tell employees how to report violations and where to receive assistance. These laws and the related posters are updated at a minimum of once a year, so if you are an employer and you haven’t replaced them recently, you’ll want to get the newest posters right away. 

The state of Arizona requires that the following Employment Labors Posters be posted: Worker’s Compensation, Unemployment Insurance, Discrimination Notice, Work Exposure to Bodily Fluids, Constructive Discharge Notice, and OSHA-Health and Safety Protection. In addition, the Federal laws listed on posters that are required 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, OSHA-Job Safety & Health Protection. 

As I write this, I am reminded that Arizona is one of only six states that doesn’t have a minimum wage law. So the only poster related to minimum wage that is required in Arizona is the Federal one. I will try to keep you updated on changes as they happen, since it is the responsibility of employers to have the latest version of the Employment Labor Posters on their walls. Please check back often for new information. 

 

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Compliance Posting Requirements – State of Arizona (AZ)

September 6th, 2006 Posted by Hannah

In Arizona, posters outlining state and federal labor laws need to be posted in all workplaces. It’s the employer’s responsibility to do this and to make sure that they are accessible to all employees. This means that the posters should be in a work room, break room, mail room or any other place that all employees are likely to visit on a regular basis. A great place to choose is the place where employees gather before or after work or on their breaks.

Arizona posters need to have certain laws outlined on them to be legal according to labor laws. The state posters should outline the following laws: Worker’s Compensation, Unemployment Insurance, Discrimination Notices, Work Exposure to Bodily Fluids, Constructive Discharge Notice and OSHA – Health and Safety Protection. Federal laws outlined on Arizona posters 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 and Health Protection.

Employers need to post these laws in the workplace for the employees’ protection, but they are quite useful for the employer as well. While they outline the employee’s rights within the workplace and give them the protocol for complaints or how to deal with violations to these laws, the Arizona posters also give the employers a great resource. By knowing the laws and the employee’s rights, employers will be aware of their responsibilities when it comes to Arizona labor laws and they will also know what exactly is expected and them in situations outlined by these laws – they’ll know their current obligations to the Family and Medical Leave Act, for example.

Since labor laws frequently change, it’s very important for employers in Arizona to make sure they update their posters just as frequently. Not having posters and not keeping posters current are both against the law.

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