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Last updated April, 2026
Arizona employee handbook overview
To create an Arizona employee handbook, it is crucial to incorporate both state and federal policies. Whether your employees are all located in Arizona or only a few of them, you will require an Arizona-specific handbook to ensure that your staff is aware of the policies and privileges provided by their state.
Below, you can find the mandatory state policies for Arizona, federally mandated policies, and other discretionary policies.
What should be included in your Arizona employee handbook?
Every handbook should include Federal, State, and (if applicable) City-specific policies. Below are Arizona-specific policies that should be included in your handbook.
- Arizona Equal Employment Opportunity: Employers may not discriminate against employees or applicants based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability in hiring, promotion, compensation, or any term of employment. The Act applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
- Arizona Equal Pay Policy: Employers may not pay employees of one sex less than employees of the opposite sex for the same quantity and quality of work. Wage differentials are permitted only when based on seniority, merit, or factors other than sex.
- Arizona Victim Leave Policy: Employers are required to provide leave for employees who have been, or whose family or household members have been, the victim of a criminal act.
- Arizona Immigration Verification: All Arizona employers are required to use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires. Employers who knowingly or intentionally hire unauthorized workers may face suspension or revocation of their business license.
- Arizona Paid Sick Leave Policy: Employers are required to provide employees with paid sick leave . The amount of leave varies depending on the size of the company.
- Arizona Voting Leave Policy: Employers must provide employees with leave to vote when employees do not have three hours before or after their shift that overlap with times the polls are open.
- Arizona Jury Duty Policy: Companies are prohibited from retaliating against employees for responding to a summons for jury service . Employees are not required to use vacation or annual leave for jury duty. For employers with 5 or fewer employees, if multiple employees are scheduled to serve as jurors simultaneously, the court should postpone and reschedule jury service.
- Arizona Military Leave: Employees who are members of the National Guard or U.S. armed forces reserves are entitled to leave for military duty without loss of time, pay or efficiency rating. Employers may not terminate, threaten, or discriminate against employees for fulfilling military obligations.
- Arizona Smoking Policy: Employers must prohibit smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces. Employers are required to post "No Smoking" signs and may designate outdoor smoking areas at least 20 feet from building entrances. Violations may result in fines.
- Arizona Break Time to Express Milk: A mother is entitled to breast-feed in any area of a public place or a place of public accommodation where the mother is otherwise lawfully present.
- Arizona Weapons in the Workplace: Employers may not prohibit employees from storing lawfully possessed firearms locked inside their personal vehicles in company parking areas. However, employers may restrict firearms inside the actual workplace. This applies to both concealed carry permit holders and lawful gun owners.
- Arizona Data Security Breach: Employers and businesses that maintain personal data must notify affected individuals within 45 days of discovering a security breach involving unencrypted personal information. Notification must also be made to the Arizona Attorney General if the breach affects more than 1,000 individuals.
- Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy: Employers may not discriminate against employees solely for holding a valid medical marijuana card. However, employers may still prohibit use or impairment on the job, and may take action if an employee is impaired during work hours or in safety-sensitive positions.
Federal Policies
Don’t forget about the federal policies
There are policies that should be included in every handbook to comply with US labor and employment law. Many states require additional provisions. However, this list includes core federal requirements and best practices applicable to most businesses.
Core federal policies
- Equal Employment Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination Policy Show me!
- Anti-Harassment and Complaint Procedure Show me!
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy Show me!
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) & Reasonable Accommodation Policy
- Military Service Leave (USERRA)
- Wage and Hour Compliance Policy (FSLA)
- At-Will Employment Notice Show me!
- Polices if you employ federal contractors (Pay Transparency Policy, Whistleblower Protection, Drug-free Workplace Policy)
Highly recommended policies
- Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
- Code of Conduct Policy
- Nursing Parents Policy
- Conflict of Interest and Business Ethics
- Disciplinary Procedures
- Use of Company Property
- Employee Classification and Pay Practices
- Health and Safety Policy
- Confidential Company Information
- Open Door Policy
- Receipt of Non-Harassment Policy
- Use of Communication and Computer Systems
- Workplace Searches and Inspections
Additional policies to include
- Industry-specific policies
- Sick Leave, Vacation Leave, PTO policy
- Company Vehicles Policy
- Punctuality and Attendance
- Benefits
- Working Schedule
- Employment Records
- Smoking
- Overtime
- Performance Reviews
- Social Media Policy
- Remote Work Policy
- Introductory Period Policy
- References
- Hiring Relatives and Significant Others
- Business Expense Reimbursement
Get all recommended policies from the free handbook builder.
Poster Requirements
Understanding labor law poster requirements can be a bit like trying to decode a complex puzzle. You need to comply with both state and federal requirements.
Why Should I Care About Displaying Posters?
You might be wondering why it's so important to display these posters in the first place. State and Federal laws mandate that employers must have up-to-date labor law posters conspicuously displayed for their employees. Failing to do so not only results in steep fines (up to $35,000 in federal fines and additional state fines) but also exposes you to real liability.
Consider this scenario: if an employee decides to bring a lawsuit against your company, and you don't have the required posters or they are outdated, you could face even more significant problems:
Statute of Limitations: Normally, there's a limited window within which an employee can file a lawsuit against you. However, if you didn't inform your employees of their rights through proper poster display, a court might decide that the statute of limitations doesn't apply.
Operating in Bad Faith: Courts may determine that you were intentionally withholding information from your employees, which could lead to a finding that you were operating in bad faith. This can substantially increase your liability.
What Are the Requirements for Displaying Labor Law Posters?
Labor law posters must be displayed at every physical location where you have employees, and they need to be conspicuously displayed for all to see.
- If you have a hybrid workplace with both in-person and remote employees, you'll need physical posters at your facilities and electronic distribution to your off-site workers.
- For fully remote companies, you can distribute posters electronically by sharing a permanent link to the appropriate posters.
- Some posters also need to be visible to job applicants, such as FMLA, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Employee Polygraph Protection posters, as per the guidance provided by the Department of Labor.
What Labor Law Posters Do I Need to Display?
You'll need both Federal and State labor law posters for each state where you have employees. The good news is that all the posters you need are provided for free by the federal government and state departments of labor. You've probably seen those convenient "all-in-one" laminated posters, but if you prefer, everything you need is also available as a free, printable document from the Arizona Department of Labor.
Federal Poster Requirements
Determining which federal posters you're required to display can be influenced by various factors, including your industry, the size of your company, benefits you provide and union affiliation.
The good news is that there's a handy tool to help you understand precisely which federal posters your company needs. You can use the Federal Poster Advisor tool to determine your specific federal poster requirements.
Arizona Labor Law Poster Requirements
You can refer to the Arizona Department of Labor for free, printable posters.
Download Arizona labor law posters here
How to create an Arizona Employee Handbook
An employee handbook isn't just a formality, it's the foundation of a well-run company. But getting it right means more than putting words on paper. Your handbook needs to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, and it needs to stay current as those laws change.
When it comes to building a legally sound, state-specific handbook, most companies face the same tough choice: hire an attorney to draft one from scratch, or try to do it yourself. The first option is expensive and time-consuming. The second is risky, especially if you're relying on generic, one-size-fits-all templates found online.
That's where Handbooks.io comes in.
Handbooks.io is an employee handbook builder trusted by many companies to create polished, fully compliant handbooks, without the legal fees or guesswork. Answer a short survey about your company, and a tailored handbook is generated in no time. It's everything you need to create, maintain, and distribute a professional employee handbook, all in one place.
Let’s build this thing!
Get started on building your handbook
Creating a new handbook only takes a few minutes. And it’s easy. You can get started by answering a few interactive questions about your company. A few examples:
- How many employees do you have?
- Do you have employees in multiple states?
- Do you have an introductory period for new employees?
- Do you offer paid holidays?
- What is your payroll schedule?