The Arizona minimum wage increased from $13.85 per hour to $14.35 per hour. The latest increase took effect on January 1, 2024, and will remain in effect until December 31, 2024. This means that Arizona employers will need to...more
On June 27, 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) became effective. It impacts employers with fifteen or more employees and provides protections that are distinct from, and in addition to, benefits provided to FMLA...more
As attorneys, we play two fundamental roles: we are both advocates and counselors. As advocates, we present the law and facts in a manner that best advances our clients’ positions. As counselors, we inform our clients of...more
The Arizona minimum wage will increase yet again from $12.80 per hour to $13.85 per hour. The increase is more than $1.00 per hour and it will take effect on January 1, 2023 and will remain in effect until December 31, 2023....more
The Arizona Department of Education (“DOE”) is responsible for licensing and overseeing educators in the state. All Arizona teachers must maintain a teaching certificate to be eligible to teach and remain in good standing...more
Remote employees are entitled to FMLA leave only if they meet certain requirements.
What Is FMLA Leave?
The Family Medical Leave Act entitles eligible employees to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for qualifying medical...more
Arizona is an at-will employment state. This means employers may terminate employees for any reason or no reason at all so long as the reason is not an illegal one. Several state and federal laws prohibit employers from...more
Many students are generally familiar with the First Amendment of the Constitution, but they often overlook that it only confers the right “to petition the Government for a redress of such grievances.” As a result, only...more
1/26/2022
/ Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Freedom of Religion ,
Freedom of the Press ,
Private Schools ,
Public Schools ,
Right to Peaceful Assembly ,
School Districts ,
Student Speech ,
Students ,
Universities
It’s unfortunately a fairly common story: two students move to Arizona from another state to attend a public university with hopes of ultimately paying in-state tuition. Both students have similar backgrounds, graduated from...more
According to UNESCO, concerns related to COVID-19 led to school closures that impacted nearly 80% of the world’s student population. School closures led many universities to move away from in-person learning towards remote...more
JW Way Fundamental #27: Don’t take yourself too seriously."Maintain a healthy perspective on your work and professional life. There are more important things going on in the world than your daily challenges. And remember to...more
On March 8, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order indicating it is the policy of the Biden administration “that all students should be guaranteed an educational environment free of from discrimination on the basis...more
3/26/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Colleges ,
Department of Education ,
Educational Institutions ,
Executive Orders ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
School Districts ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Sexual Violence Policies ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Universities
Governor Ducey recently signed an executive order requiring Arizona schools to reopen for in-person learning by March 15, 2021. Additionally, many employers that have allowed employees to work remotely during the pandemic are...more
3/17/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Personal Belief Exemption ,
Religious Exemption ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
For many students, earning good grades and maintaining a high GPA are key to obtaining and maintaining opportunities such as scholarships, internships, and job offers in competitive industries. Unfortunately, receiving an...more
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”) became effective in April 2020 and will expire on January 1, 2021. The FFCRA requires employers with 500 or fewer employee to provide up to eighty hours of paid sick leave...more
The Arizona Board of Regents governs Arizona’s public university system, overseeing Arizona State University, Northern University of Arizona and the University of Arizona. The Board is required by law to establish uniform...more
8/22/2020
/ Board of Regents ,
Dependents ,
In-State Beneficiaries ,
Military Service Members ,
Public Schools ,
Residency Status ,
Spouses ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Tuition ,
Universities
Students who attend elementary and secondary school systems, colleges and universities, vocational schools, and proprietary schools that receive federal funding have federally protected rights against discrimination on the...more
7/24/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Bias ,
Colleges ,
Federal Funding ,
Grievance Process ,
Legal Representatives ,
OCR ,
Public Schools ,
State Education Departments ,
Students ,
Universities
Employers are legally obligated to pay employees wages for the work they perform. However, there are unfortunately circumstances in which an employer may refuse to pay their employees. There are at least five things Arizona...more
7/21/2020
/ Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Payment Terms ,
Private Right of Action ,
State Labor Laws ,
Treble Damages ,
Unpaid Overtime ,
Unpaid Wages ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wage Garnishment ,
Wage Withholding
On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency arising from the spread of the coronavirus in the United States. In response, Governor Ducey announced on March 15, 2020 that Arizona schools would remain...more
On March 19, 2020, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order to limit the operation of certain business, including bars, restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. Although...more
4/3/2020
/ Business Interruption ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Ethics ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Layoffs ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Relief Measures ,
Shared Work Unemployment Compensation Program ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Small Business Loans ,
Tax Credits ,
Unemployment Insurance
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is effective April 2, 2020. The law requires some employers to provide employees paid sick leave for COVID-19 related events and expands FMLA....more
4/1/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Relief Measures ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act is effective April 2, 2020. The law requires some employers to provide employees paid sick leave for COVID-19 related events and expands FMLA...more
3/30/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Covered Employer ,
EFMLA ,
EPSLA ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Sick Leave ,
Sick Pay ,
Tax Credits
I’m a Student Accused of Plagiarism: Now What? University students are often required to perform significant research and write numerous papers as part of their coursework. But what happens when a student fails to give credit...more
A non-compete agreement, which is often referred to as a “restrictive covenant,” attempts to preclude an employee from working for a competitor or undertaking a new business venture that would compete with a former employer....more
2/21/2020
/ Employment Contract ,
Exemptions ,
Health Care Providers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Legal Representatives ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Radio Broadcasting ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Scope and Duration of Restrictive Covenant ,
State Labor Laws ,
Television Broadcast Stations
The #Metoo movement has shed substantial light upon issues surrounding workplace sexual harassment, especially in the context of superiors harassing their subordinates. But what happens when employees are harassed at work by...more