In our last Issue of the Compliance Newsletter, we told you that Arizona’s Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act (the “Act”), which established a new minimum wage (effective January 1, 2017) and a new paid sick leave requirement (effective July 1, 2017), was being contested in Court. We also told you that you should prepare to comply until you hear otherwise.
Guidance Released. Since then, the Industrial Commission of Arizona released guidance around the Act to provide answers to some of the more frequently asked questions pertaining to the law. As you prepare to comply with its mandates, we recommend you review the answers provided in this FAQ.
Supreme Court of Arizona Upholds the Law. Even more recently, the Supreme Court of Arizona (which heard argument on March 9, 2017), issued its decision on March 14, 2017, rejecting arguments that the law was unconstitutional. The Arizona Supreme Court upheld both the minimum wage and sick leave provisions and the law remains in effect.
Call to Action. Employers must be prepared to comply with these mandates by their effective dates.