An Arizona employment contract lays out the terms of the employment. It protects both parties, outlining the employee’s responsibilities and the pay and benefits they will receive from the employer.
In Arizona law, for a contract to be legally binding and enforceable, it must meet elements of common law, including an offer, acceptance, and consideration. The document must be in writing and signed by both employer and employee [1] .
- Laws: A.R.S. Title 23.
- Definition of Employee: § 23-211: “Any person who provides services or labor for an employer in this state for wages or other remuneration. Does not include an independent contractor.”
By Type
Independent Contractor Agreement
Defines the relationship between a contractor and employer.
Subcontractor Agreement
Establishes the collaboration terms between a general contractor and a subcontractor.
Employee Non-Compete Agreement
Prevents former employees from using sensitive company information.
Hiring in Arizona
Arizona has several state employment laws and requirements you should know before hiring any employees:
At-Will Employment
Arizona is an at-will employment state. There are also exceptions to the at-will employment rules in Arizona.
Exceptions
- Public Policy: Yes
- Implied-Contract: Yes
- Good-Faith Exception: Yes
Minimum Wage ($/hr)
The basic minimum rate (per hour) is $13.85 [2] .
Child Labor
In Arizona, neither employment certificates nor age certification is required.
Persons under the age of 16 can work under specific terms [3] :
- No more than 40 hours a week, eight hours a day, and not before 6:00 AM or after 11:00 PM when school is not in session or the youth are not enrolled.
- No more than three hours on a school day when enrolled on a day when school is in session, and eight hours on a non-school day for 18 hours per week.
- Not before 6:00 AM or after 9:30 PM when there is school the next day. When there is no school the next day, they can work until 11:00 PM.
- No more than 18 hours a week, three hours in any one day when school is in session.
- Youths under 16 can not be employed in solicitation sales or door-to-door deliveries between 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM when school is in session and between 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM when school is not in session.
Payday
Employers in Arizona must pay employees at least semi-monthly. Employees must be paid two or more days in a month and no more than 16 days apart.
Meal and Rest Breaks
Arizona has no labor regulations specifying the requirement of paid periods for breaks or required meal periods.
Recordkeeping Requirements
Employers in Arizona are required to keep payroll records for four years [4] , showing:
- Wages, hours, and sick time
- Unemployment insurance
- Safety and health/workers’ compensation
- Child labor
- Discrimination
- Employee access to records
Sample
Use our Arizona employment contract template to ensure you don’t miss any important information. Download it in PDF or Word format:
