Arizona workers have a legal right to take paid sick time. If your employer denied leave, refused to pay, retaliated against you for using it, or violated the Arizona sick leave policy in any way, you may be entitled to legal relief.
Whether your hours were miscalculated or your paid sick leave request was flatly denied, Stone Rose Law will help you evaluate your legal options and take action. Call (480) 498-8998 now to speak directly with a lawyer who handles Arizona sick leave violations.
At Stone Rose Law, we bring deep experience and a results-driven approach to every case. Employment disputes involving paid sick leave often come down to the details.
Our attorneys know how to gather evidence, expose willful violations, and pursue compensation through the Arizona Industrial Commission or in court. When you’re dealing with a denied sick leave claim, retaliation, or illegal sick time practices, Stone Rose Law is ready to protect you.
Arizona enacted the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act (A.R.S. § 23-371 through § 23-38) in 2016. This established the guidelines for Arizona paid sick leave.
The law created statewide minimum wage standards to ensure fair wages and established paid sick leave rights for all Arizona workers. These provisions require almost every employer in the state to provide paid sick leave.
Most workers are entitled to accrue paid leave. How many hours of earned paid time depends on Arizona paid sick time law.
The employer’s payroll system should track and account for each employee’s earned paid sick time.
How much sick time someone earns also depends on circumstances such as hours worked in a normal work week. Hours of earned paid time should be communicated upon employee request.
Companies should make a good faith effort to educate employees on Arizona paid sick leave and federal rules.
Arizona employees began accruing paid sick time on July 1, 2017, if they were already employed. If hired after that date, accrual is based on their start date.
The law applies to all Arizona employers, regardless of size. All regular employees are eligible to earn paid sick leave.
Independent contractors are not covered, although employers sometimes misclassify workers in violation of the law.
Eligible employees earn 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.
Employees working for an employer with 15 or more employees can earn up to 40 hours of sick leave annually. Employees working for an employer with fewer than 15 employees can earn up to 24 hours of sick leave annually.
Employers can choose to provide the full amount at the start of the year or allow accrual throughout. Unused earned sick time must be rolled over into the next year up to the allowable maximum.
Employees are entitled to use paid sick time for their own health needs or to care for family members. Employees can begin using sick time after 90 calendar days of employment.
The leave can be used for:
Unused earned sick time must be rolled over into the next year up to the allowable maximum.
While companies can enact legally sound policies that require reasonable documentation or provide advance notice in circumstances where such notice is possible, employers cannot use these in bad faith to deny sick leave.
Moreover, employers cannot require employees to find a replacement or work extra hours to make up for the time off. This means employers cannot deny paid sick time even if the employee works at an hourly rate.
The point of the law is for workers to use earned paid sick time. When employees use earned paid sick time, they protect their coworkers from illness.
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Employers can violate sick leave rights in various ways. Understanding these violations is critical to recognizing when you may have a case.
Some employers refuse to grant sick time even when employees have accrued hours. They may claim the timing is inconvenient or impose unlawful restrictions that go beyond what the law allows.
If your employer fails to calculate your hours correctly or doesn’t credit your paid sick time accurately, that’s a violation. This often happens with hourly, part-time, or seasonal workers whose hours fluctuate.
Employers can request reasonable documentation. However, rules apply.
Arizona law only allows employers to ask for documentation after three consecutive days of absence. If your employer demands a doctor’s note after a single day off, they are not in compliance.
This includes:
Even if the original sick leave denial is unclear, retaliation is a standalone legal issue.
Some employers mislabel employees as independent contractors to avoid sick leave obligations.
Employers must either provide a pay stub or another document showing your accrued and used sick time. Employers must retain paid sick leave records for at least 4 years.
Many employees don’t realize that Arizona’s law protects victims of domestic violence and abuse, as well as workers impacted by public health emergencies. Denial of sick leave in these scenarios is unlawful.
Only under narrow circumstances. If you’ve accrued paid sick time and your absence qualifies under the law, your employer cannot deny it.
Even if your employer is short-staffed or unhappy about your absence, they are legally required to honor your request if it aligns with policy and statutory protections. Denials are only legitimate if:
Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees for using paid sick time or for asserting their rights.
The default rule is no—Arizona employers are not required to pay unused time to Arizona employees upon separation.
However, there are exceptions to paying out unused sick leave:
Stone Rose Law can review your policy documents and help you determine whether a sick leave payout at termination is required in your case.
Not every instance of confusion or denial is enough to justify a legal case. Strong claims usually have:
More evidence leads to a stronger case, but you don’t need to have everything in place before reaching out. Our firm can help investigate and build your case.
Arizona law offers several remedies for employees whose rights have been violated under the sick leave statute.
You may be entitled to:
In addition to filing a complaint with the Industrial Commission of Arizona, you may also have the right to pursue a private lawsuit.
Stone Rose Law represents Arizona workers across industries and employment levels.
We work efficiently and strategically to recover the compensation you deserve. No employer is above the law.
Stone Rose Law helps employees assert their rights under Arizona’s paid sick time laws. We’ll review your case, explain your legal options, and fight for the outcome you deserve.
Call (480) 498-8998 or contact us online to schedule your consultation.
