{"id":1662,"date":"2017-12-14T18:56:01","date_gmt":"2017-12-14T18:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-labor-employment-law\/?page_id=1662"},"modified":"2024-07-31T17:27:48","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T17:27:48","slug":"mandatory-overtime-legal-arizona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/az-labor-employment-law\/blog\/mandatory-overtime-legal-arizona\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Mandatory Overtime Legal In Arizona?"},"content":{"rendered":"
The state of Arizona does not have any laws governing overtime. Instead, the state defers to federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA<\/a>) of 1938.<\/p>\n The FLSA offers just one piece of guidance on overtime: that employees are due time-and-a-half pay for any time worked over 40 hours in a single workweek. Employers cannot require off-the-clock overtime, but unfortunately, they have the right to impose mandatory overtime, and there is no cap on how much overtime they can require.<\/p>\n However, if you believe you are being singled out for mandatory overtime due to discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or if your employer fails to compensate you for overtime work, then you might have a case against your employer.<\/p>\n You can file a complaint with the Department of Labor\u2019s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and request an investigation, and you have the right to file a civil lawsuit against the employer. Before you take action, though, it\u2019s best to consult with an employment-law attorney to determine the best course of action.<\/p>\n While employees aren\u2019t afforded much protection regarding overtime, there are a handful of core rights guaranteed by federal law. This includes:<\/p>\n One of the primary purposes of the FLSA was to establish a minimum wage and require employers to pay additional compensation for overtime. This federal law provides the floor for hourly-wages at $7.25\/hour for standard time, and $10.87\/hour for overtime.<\/p>\n However, states are granted the authority to offer additional regulations on the matter. Arizona, for example, has a minimum wage of $10.00\/hour<\/a>, and by extension requires $15.00\/hour for overtime.<\/p>\n The state has also passed legislation that will incrementally raise the minimum wage to keep up with the rising cost of living. According to ARS 23-363<\/a>, the minimum wage will rise according to the following schedule:<\/p>\n While this is certainly better than the federal minimum, there are some states who take the matter further. One of the best states for overtime regulations is California, which requires employers to pay time-and-a-half after eight hours in a single day, and double-time after 12 hours in a single day.<\/p>\n Tipped employees are a notable exception to the law. Federal law defines tipped employees as those who receive more than $30 per month in tipped wages. Under Arizona state law, employers may pay tipped employees up to $3\/hour less than the minimum wage as long as the employee\u2019s total income amounts to at least the minimum wage.<\/p>\n Every employee has the right to operate in a safe workplace with proper training. The Department of Labor\u2019s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA<\/a>) oversees this area, and specifically guarantees the following rights:<\/p>\n Any employee who is injured on the job should be eligible for benefit-pay through worker\u2019s compensation. An employer isn\u2019t necessarily required to hold an injured employee\u2019s job during their absence, but they are required to provide the employee with a new job that offers the same compensation and benefits as their previous position.<\/p>\n If you are denied sufficient medical treatment or worker\u2019s compensation, or if your employer doesn\u2019t provide you a job with similar pay and benefits when you return to work, you can file a complaint with the Department of Labor\u2019s Office of Worker\u2019s Compensation Programs (OWCP<\/a>).<\/p>\n Every employee is afforded the right to operate in a workplace that is free from discrimination. Under federal law, an employer cannot make important decisions based on an employee or applicant\u2019s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.<\/p>\n Under no circumstance can an employer consider any of these traits when considering promotions, hiring, compensation, termination, or terms of employment. Any breaches of these rights will be investigated by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC<\/a>), and are subject to civil lawsuits by mistreated employees and job-applicants.<\/p>\n All employees are guaranteed the ability to enjoy a workplace without sexual harassment. Title VII<\/a> of the Civil Rights Act<\/a> of 1964 considers sexual harassment a form of discrimination, and therefore places it under the purview of the EEOC.<\/p>\n The EEOC seeks to offer employees protection against any form of harassment, especially when the harassment creates a hostile work environment. In particular, the EEOC guards against four types of sexual harassment:<\/p>\n If a job applicant or an employee with a disability is qualified for a position, and if they can perform the essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations, an employer cannot discriminate against them based on their disability.<\/p>\n\n
The Right to Fair Compensation<\/h2>\n
\n
The Right to a Safe Workplace<\/h2>\n
\n
The Right to Worker\u2019s Compensation<\/h2>\n
The Right to a Workplace Free from Discrimination<\/h2>\n
The Right to a Workplace Free from Sexual Harassment<\/h2>\n
\n
The Right to Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities<\/h2>\n