Arizona Worker Rights
Arizona has one of the higher state minimum wages, a voter-approved paid sick time law, and a state OSHA plan focused heavily on heat.
- Arizona
Pay
- Minimum wage: well above the federal rate and adjusted every January for inflation. Flagstaff and Tucson set higher local rates.
- Overtime: federal rules, 1.5x over 40 hours a week.
- Final pay: if fired, within 7 working days or by the end of the next pay period, whichever comes first; if you quit, by the next regular payday.
- Prevailing wage: Arizona has no state prevailing wage law and bars local ones; Davis-Bacon applies on federal projects.
Breaks and leave
- Earned paid sick time: 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 24 hours a year at employers with fewer than 15 employees and 40 hours at larger ones.
- No state law requiring meal or rest breaks for adults. Heat makes breaks critical; see Heat Illness.
Unions and right-to-work
Arizona is a right-to-work state: a union contract can’t require you to join a union or pay dues or fees to keep your job. You still have the right to organize and act together with coworkers under federal law. See Right-to-Work States.
Where to file
- Unpaid wages and overtime: Industrial Commission of Arizona, Labor Department (for smaller claims), or a lawsuit.
- Discrimination and harassment: Arizona Attorney General’s Civil Rights Division, or the U.S. EEOC.
- Safety: ADOSH, the state plan, covers most private and public employers.
- Work injuries: report the injury to your employer right away, in writing, and follow up with Arizona’s workers’ compensation agency. See Workers’ Compensation.
Check current rules: this is a summary. Wage rates and labor laws change often, usually on January 1 or July 1, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm details with the Industrial Commission of Arizona before acting. Federal protections apply too. See Where to Get Help.
Standards & references
Last updated: