Urgent—New Paid Sick Leave Law
July 1, 2017 Deadline is Looming!

If you are like many companies, you may have waited to create an implement a sick paid leave policy that is required under Proposition 206 (See A.R.S. § 23-371 through § 23-381). We understand that your life as an employer involves more than updating your employment policy, but the deadline is July 1, 2017, so let us help you! We have helped several companies create and implement paid sick leave policies that are compliant with the law. While there is no one-size-fits-all policy, we can help you create a policy that fits your company while keeping your costs down. Let’s get started today to make sure you meet the July 1, 2017 deadline! Please contact our office by phone at 480.325.9900 or by email at [email protected] to set up a time to talk.

Here are some frequently asked questions:

1) Do I need a written policy to give to employees?

a. Yes, the law requires employees to be provided written notice of their rights under the laws. There are also things that can only be accomplished by having a written policy, such as items found in questions 7 and 8 below.

2) How will paid sick leave interact with other forms of paid time off that the company has in place?

a. Some companies combine paid sick leave policies with existing paid time off policies, and others keep them separate. There are pros and cons to both decisions. We can talk you through what will work best for you.

3) What if the company only has one employee or part-time employees?

a. The law requires that all employees, including part-time employees, be allowed to accrue and use paid sick leave.

4) What is the legal minimum of accrued paid sick leave that an employee can use in a year?

a. If you have fewer than 15 employees, then the legal minimum that an employee can accrue and use is 24 hours in a year. If you have 15 or more employees, then the legal minimum an employee can accrue and use is 40 hours in a year.

5) Should I allow employees to accrue paid sick leave, or just provide employees with the legal minimum up front?

a. Instead of tracking the accrual of paid sick leave, some companies choose to simply allot the legal minimum of accrued paid sick leave up front.

6) Does the company have to roll over unused paid sick leave each year?

a. Yes, the law requires you to roll over accrued but unused paid sick leave unless you decide to pay out any accrued paid sick leave at the end of each year.

7) Does the company want to require an employee to provide written notice if they are going to use paid sick leave?

a. If there is a written policy in place, then you can require an employee to provide written notice of their need to use leave. We can talk through how to best structure this so as to prevent employees from abusing paid sick leave.

8) Does the company have to pay accrued sick leave when the employee is fired or quits?

a. If you have a written policy stating that accrued paid sick leave is not paid out upon separation from employment, then you do not need to pay it out.

9) Can I incentivize employees to not use their paid sick leave?

a. Yes, there are creative ways to incentivize employees not to use paid sick leave. Let’s talk about them and see what works best for you.

10) Do I need my payroll to track paid sick leave time?

a. Yes. This is important as the law requires you to track accrued and used paid sick leave on each paystub.

We look forward to helping you create a paid sick leave policy that works for your company!

Approved By:

Brad Denton – Denton Peterson, PC