Every private employer in Arizona has to display the Arizona paid sick leave poster in a spot where employees will see it, in both English and Spanish, under A.R.S. § 23-375. The Industrial Commission of Arizona publishes the official notice as a free PDF, and skipping it carries civil penalties that start at $250 for a first violation.
Where to Get the Official Poster
The Industrial Commission of Arizona hosts the earned paid sick time poster on its “Posters Employers Must Display” page as a free download. English and Spanish versions are both there.1Industrial Commission of Arizona. Posters Employers Must Display You don’t need to buy one from a compliance vendor. Print on standard letter or legal-size paper and check that the text stays legible after printing.
The same ICA page lists the other mandatory Arizona workplace posters, so it’s worth pulling the full set at the same time. Employees who think an employer has failed to post the notice can file through the Earned Paid Sick Time Claim Form on the commission’s website.2Industrial Commission of Arizona. Earned Paid Sick Time Complaint Form Instructions
What the Notice Has to Say
Section 23-375(A) lists five pieces of information every notice has to cover. Using the ICA’s model poster is the safest way to be sure all of them are there in the right wording, but here is what the law requires:
- That employees are entitled to earn paid sick time, and how much they can accrue.
- The terms under which earned paid sick time can be used.
- That retaliation against employees who request or use sick time is prohibited.
- That employees have the right to file a complaint if sick time is denied or if the employer retaliates.
- Contact information for the Industrial Commission of Arizona.
If you build your own notice instead of using the ICA’s version, every one of those elements has to be present. Missing any of them is a notice violation on its own.
Language Requirements
Section 23-375(B) requires the notice in English and Spanish at a minimum, plus any additional language the Industrial Commission deems appropriate. The commission is directed under § 23-375(D) to produce model notices in all required languages and make them available to employers for free.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 23-375 – Notice If your workforce primarily speaks a language other than English or Spanish, check the ICA site for additional translations before printing.
Which Employers Have to Post It
A.R.S. § 23-371 defines “employer” broadly enough to catch nearly every private business in the state: corporations, sole proprietorships, partnerships, joint ventures, LLCs, trusts, and political subdivisions. A business with a single employee is covered.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 23-371 – Definitions
Only two entities fall outside the definition: the State of Arizona itself and the United States government.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 23-371 – Definitions Smaller employers have a lower annual sick time cap than larger ones, but the posting obligation is identical regardless of headcount or revenue.
Where and How to Display It
Put the poster somewhere employees will see it during a normal workday. Break rooms, employee lounges, and areas near time clocks are the typical choices. If your business occupies multiple floors or separate buildings, each distinct work area needs its own copy so no one has to go looking.
Remote and mobile workers are a separate problem. Emailing the notice or posting it on a company intranet can reach staff who never come into a central office, but the physical poster still has to go up at any location where employees do report in person. The U.S. Department of Labor has said that putting notices on a company website alone does not replace physical posting where physical posting is otherwise required.5U.S. Department of Labor. Posters – Frequently Asked Questions
Penalties for Not Posting
An employer that violates the notice or posting requirements faces civil penalties under A.R.S. § 23-364(F). The minimum is $250 for a first violation and $1,000 for each subsequent or willful violation. Those figures are floors. The Industrial Commission or a court can also impose special monitoring and inspections on repeat offenders, which puts broader wage and hour practices under scrutiny, not just the poster.6Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 23-364 – Enforcement
Printing a free PDF costs almost nothing compared to the minimum $250 penalty. And because complaints about a missing poster can be filed alongside substantive sick time complaints, a bare wall often invites a wider investigation into accrual practices, paycheck records, and possible retaliation.
Don’t Confuse the Poster With the Paycheck Requirement
The posting rule in § 23-375(A) is separate from the paycheck recordkeeping rule in § 23-375(C), and employers routinely mix them up. The poster informs employees of their rights at the workplace. The paycheck rule requires that every pay stub, or an attachment to it, show the employee’s available sick time balance, how much they have used that year, and the dollar amount received as sick pay.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 23-375 – Notice Both are required. Posting the notice does not satisfy the paycheck obligation, and tracking balances on pay stubs does not satisfy the posting obligation.