What it can be used for
Own or family member illness, injury, treatment or preventive care; public health emergency closures of work or a child's school; communicable disease exposure; and needs related to domestic violence, sexual violence, abuse or stalking. Source: azleg.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Notice and documentation
You may require reasonable documentation only for 3 or more consecutive workdays. You cannot require details of the condition, and cannot make the employee find a replacement. Source: azleg.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Penalties
Civil penalty of at least $250 for a first violation and $1,000 for repeat or willful ones; unpaid sick time owed plus interest and twice that amount; at least $150 a day for retaliation. Source: azleg.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
The law and where to check
The law: Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 23-371 to 23-381 (opens in a new tab)
The agency: Industrial Commission of Arizona, Labor Department (opens in a new tab)
What federal law says
No federal law requires private employers to give paid sick leave. Federal contractors must give up to 7 days a year under Executive Order 13706. Source: U.S. Department of Labor↗ (opens in a new tab) Source: U.S. DOL — EO 13706↗ (opens in a new tab)
Paid sick leave checklist for Arizona employers
A simple order of work, based on the rules above. It is not a legal checklist.
- Check whether your business size is covered by the rule above.
- Set up accrual in your payroll or HR system (or front-load the yearly amount).
- Write a sick leave policy covering accrual, the cap, carryover, notice and documentation.
- Show each employee's balance where your state requires it.
- Check for city or county sick leave laws where your staff work.
- Keep records of time earned and used.
More Arizona employment law guides
- All Arizona employment laws
- Arizona final paycheck law
- Arizona meal and rest break laws
- Arizona overtime law
- Arizona pay frequency law
- Arizona vacation and PTO payout law
- Arizona new hire reporting
- Arizona at-will exceptions
Paid sick leave laws in other states
See every state on one page, or pick a state:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
All official government sources, last checked October 19, 2026.
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00371.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00372.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00373.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/23/00364.htm
- https://www.azica.gov/frequently-asked-questions-about-wage-and-earned-paid-sick-time-laws
- https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/sickleave
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/sick-leave
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information based on publicly available official sources and is for information only. It is not legal, tax, payroll or employment-law advice and does not guarantee compliance with federal, state or local requirements. Rules can depend on your location, industry, contracts and other circumstances, and laws change. Always check the official source, the relevant government agency or a qualified professional before making a decision. MadyHR.ai accepts no responsibility for any action taken based on this page.
Last checked: . Every rule and source link on this page was checked against the official government source on this date. Laws change, so always open the source link before you act.