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#ArizonaRestaurantWeek Labor and Employment Law Series – Restaurant Employers: Protected Leave Rights (Blog 5 of 5)

Jennings Strouss

By: Chris M. Mason

“Finalizing our Arizona Restaurant Week series, below are tips on protected leave rights to avoid costly fines and litigation in the workplace:

Tip 1:   Arizona employers must provide ALL employees with paid sick leave

Full-time, part-time, and temporary hourly employees are guaranteed up to 5 days (depending on employer size) of paid sick leave per year. Sick leave must accrue at least at the rate of 1 hour of leave for every 30 hours worked, up to the minimum number of days required by law.

Tip 2:  Employers must track each employee’s accrued leave time and disclose available and used time with every paycheck

Arizona’s sick leave law requires employers to provide employees with notice of the amount of paid sick leave that is used and available in writing with every paycheck. For this and other reason, proper leave tracking is absolutely essential in ensuring compliance with paid leave regulations. In addition, FMLA leave requires employers to issue proper notices and certifications, validate absences, and track employee unpaid leave. Waiting until after an employee has used an excessive amount of leave can cause serious issues and impact an employer’s ability to police its workforce.”

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