Arizona Paid Sick Time Law
✓ Verified against official sources · September 1, 2026 A.R.S. §§ 23-371 to 23-381 (Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act)
The short answer: Arizona requires earned paid sick time for all employees: one hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 40 hours a year for employers with 15 or more employees and 24 hours for smaller employers.
Accrual rate
1 hour per 30 hours worked
Annual amount
40 hours (15+ employees) / 24 hours (under 15)
Employers covered
All employers — the cap varies by size
Penalty for non-compliance: Enforced by the Industrial Commission of Arizona; violations can trigger back pay, penalties payable to the employee, and presumptive retaliation protections under A.R.S. § 23-364.
Arizona's voter-enacted Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act makes earned paid sick time universal. Under A.R.S. § 23-372, employees of employers with 15 or more employees accrue at least one hour per 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year; employees of smaller employers accrue at the same rate up to 24 hours per year — in each case unless the employer selects a higher limit.
Sick time covers the employee's or a family member's illness and care, public health closures, and domestic-violence-related needs. The Industrial Commission of Arizona enforces the Act, with remedies that include the withheld sick time, back pay, and additional penalties payable to the employee.
For employersThe size line is 15 employees: at or above it the annual accrual/use cap is 40 hours, below it 24 — and you may always select a higher limit.
For employeesEvery Arizona employee earns paid sick time — one hour per 30 worked — whatever the employer's size; only the annual cap changes.
The full playbook, start to finish
This page covers one rule. The complete lawyer-reviewed guide covers the whole landscape, with sources and every state's rules.
?
Arizona FAQ
Which Arizona employers must provide paid sick time?
All of them — the Act covers employers of every size. Only the annual cap differs: 40 hours at 15 or more employees, 24 hours below 15 (A.R.S. 23-372).
Does unused Arizona sick time carry over?
Yes — accrued, unused earned paid sick time carries over to the following year, subject to the annual accrual and use caps, unless the employer instead pays it out and front-loads the new year's amount.
§
Official sources
Educational content, not legal advice. Rules change — every fact above was checked against the linked official sources on the date shown.
⇄
How other states compare
| State | Accrual rate | Annual amount | Employers covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hrs (under 15 employees) / 56 hrs (15+) | All employers — the cap varies at the 15-employee line |
| Arizona | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 40 hours (15+ employees) / 24 hours (under 15) | All employers — the cap varies by size |
| California | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (alternative schedules allowed) | Use at least 40 hours / 5 days; accrual cap 80 hours / 10 days | Nearly all employers, regardless of size |
| Colorado | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 48 hours per year (+80-hour PHE supplement when declared) | All employers — full-time, part-time and temporary employees |
| Connecticut | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year; 40 hours carryover | 11+ employees now; every employer from Jan 1, 2027 |
| District of Columbia | 1 hour per 37 / 43 / 87 hours worked, by employer size | 7 days (100+) / 5 days (25–99) / 3 days (≤24) | All D.C. employers — tiered by headcount |
| Illinois | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per 12-month period — usable for any purpose | Nearly all employers (school and park districts excluded) |
| Maine | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year — usable for any reason | More than 10 employees in Maine for 120+ days a year (non-seasonal) |
| Maryland | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Earn up to 40 hrs/yr; use and bank up to 64 hrs | All — paid at 15+ employees, unpaid at 14 or fewer |
| Massachusetts | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per calendar year | All — paid at 11+ employees, unpaid below |
| Michigan | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (frontloading allowed) | Use up to 72 hrs/yr — 40 hrs at small businesses (≤10 workers) | All employers with one or more employees |
| Minnesota | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | Up to 48 hours per year; bank up to 80 hours with carryover | All employers with one or more employees |
| Missouri | None — the mandate was repealed effective Aug 28, 2025 | No state requirement — employer policy controls | No Missouri employer is required to provide sick leave |
| Nebraska | 1 hour per 30 hours worked, after 80 hours of employment | 40 hrs (11–19 employees) / 56 hrs (20+) | 11+ employees — employers with 10 or fewer are exempt |
| Nevada | 0.01923 hours per hour worked (≈1 per 52; frontloading allowed) | ≈40 hours per benefit year for full-time work — any purpose | Private employers — under-50-employee hardship and other carve-outs |
| New Jersey | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 40 hours advanced up front) | Up to 40 hours per benefit year; 40 hours carryover | All New Jersey employers, regardless of size |
| New Mexico | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 64 hours frontloaded Jan 1) | Use up to 64 hours per year; 64-hour carryover | All private employers, regardless of size |
| New York | 1 hour per 30 hours worked | 56 hrs paid (100+) / 40 paid (5–99) / 40 unpaid (0–4, ≤$1M income) | Every NY employer — the tier sets paid vs. unpaid and the cap |
| Oregon | 1 hour per 30 hours worked (or 1-1/3 per 40) | Up to 40 hours per year | All — paid at 10+ employees, unpaid under 10 |
| Rhode Island | 1 hour per 35 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per year | Paid at 18+ employees; smaller employers provide unpaid leave |
| Vermont | 1 hour per 52 hours worked | Up to 40 hours per 12-month period | All Vermont employers |
| Washington | 1 hour per 40 hours worked | No annual cap — leave is usable as accrued; 40-hour carryover | All employers covered by the Minimum Wage Act |
+