Category: Employment Law

Independent contractor vs employee in Arizona isn’t decided by what your contract calls you. Courts and agencies look past the label to how the work relationship actually functions. Getting this wrong can cost an employer real money, and it can cost a worker real benefits. Why the written label doesn’t control the outcome Arizona’s Declaration…

Unemployment benefits denied in Arizona over a “fired for cause” determination isn’t necessarily the end of the road. The word “misconduct” carries a specific legal meaning under Arizona law. That meaning is narrower than most employers’ internal reasons for firing someone. What actually counts as misconduct under Arizona law Under A.R.S. § 23-775, a discharge…

A severance agreement in Arizona almost always asks for more than a signature on the way out the door. In exchange for a payout, you’re generally giving up your right to sue your former employer over anything covered by the agreement. Reading exactly what that release covers matters more than the check amount. What a…

A workplace retaliation claim in Arizona requires proving something specific. Your employer punished you because you engaged in legally protected activity, not for some unrelated reason. That distinction decides most retaliation cases, and it trips up more claims than people expect. What counts as protected activity for a retaliation claim Protected activity under Title VII…

Unpaid overtime in Arizona under the FLSA comes down almost entirely to one question. Is your job actually exempt from overtime rules, or does your job title just say it is? Employers get this wrong constantly, sometimes by accident and sometimes not. How the FLSA overtime rule actually works in Arizona Under 29 U.S.C. §…

Workplace sexual harassment in Arizona falls under both federal and state law, and employers carry real, specific obligations once they know about it. Understanding what the law actually requires — not just what feels wrong — helps you know whether what happened crosses a legal line. The two legal categories of workplace sexual harassment Federal…

Deciding where to file a discrimination claim in Arizona often confuses people more than the underlying discrimination itself. You generally have two options: the federal EEOC, or the Arizona Civil Rights Division. Understanding the difference matters, because the choice affects your deadline and your process. Two agencies, one shared filing system Arizona has a “work-sharing”…

A non-compete agreement in Arizona isn’t automatically enforceable just because an employee signed it. Arizona courts apply a reasonableness test built from common law, not a fixed statutory formula. Plenty of signed non-competes turn out to be unenforceable once a court actually looks at what they demand. The reasonableness test Arizona courts actually apply Arizona…

The Arizona paid sick time law gives nearly every private-sector worker in the state a right most people don’t realize is baked into every job by default. Under A.R.S. §§ 23-371 to 23-381, the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act requires paid sick time accrual starting an employee’s very first day. No minimum company size…

Wrongful termination in Arizona means something narrower in law than it does in everyday conversation. Getting fired for a bad reason, an unfair reason, or no stated reason at all usually isn’t wrongful termination under A.R.S. § 23-1501. Arizona is an at-will state. The law only recognizes a termination as wrongful when it falls into…