Arizona Paid Sick Leave & Attendance Points (PHX)

General information for Phoenix-based flight attendants about Arizona paid sick leave protections and when they may apply to attendance and discipline.

Arizona Paid Sick Leave and Attendance Points

Information for PHX-Based Flight Attendants

What Arizona law generally provides

When this information may matter

How this interacts with the JCBA

What Council 9 can help with

State enforcement option

Questions?

Reporting Violations Under Arizona Paid Sick Leave Law

Earned Paid Sick Time Claim Form

EPST / Minimum Wage Retaliation Claim Form

Important notes

ICA contact information

Arizona Paid Sick Leave and Attendance Points

Information for PHX-Based Flight Attendants

Arizona law provides protections for employees who use paid sick leave, including protections against discipline or retaliation related to its use. These protections apply to Phoenix-based flight attendants (regardless of where you maintain a permanent address or residence on file with the employer) unless they have been expressly waived in the collective bargaining agreement (which they have not).

What Arizona law generally provides

Under Arizona’s Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act (A.R.S. §§ 23-371 through 23-381):

Paid sick leave may be used for your own illness, injury, or medical care
Paid sick leave may also be used to care for certain family members
Employers may not discipline, retaliate, or assess attendance points because paid sick leave was used

Arizona law does not require a separate “state” sick leave bank. Paid sick leave provided under a collective bargaining agreement may still be protected if it is paid and used for a qualifying purpose.

Statutory reference:
https://www.azleg.gov/arstitle/

When this information may matter

This page may be relevant if you have experienced any of the following:

Attendance points assessed after a sick call that was paid
Discipline where paid sick leave contributed to the attendance work record
Termination where paid sick leave was included in the point total
Being discouraged from using sick leave or told it would “count against you”

Each situation depends on the facts, but paid sick leave use itself is protected under Arizona law.

How this interacts with the JCBA

The JCBA governs attendance, discipline, and sick leave accrual. Arizona law operates alongside the contract by setting minimum legal protections.

This information is not about rewriting the contract or disputing how attendance points are calculated under Section 23. It is about whether discipline may lawfully be imposed when paid sick leave is used.

Arizona law applies unless its protections have been expressly waived in clear and unambiguous terms in the collective bargaining agreement.

What Council 9 can help with

Council 9 can assist members by:

Helping explain how Arizona paid sick leave protections work
Showing how to access pay records and attendance documentation for reporting
Answering questions about the state complaint process
Providing resources or referrals if a member chooses to pursue a claim

Council 9 cannot file a state complaint on a member’s behalf. Complaints under Arizona law must be filed in the name of the affected employee.

State enforcement option

Arizona’s paid sick leave law is enforced by the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA).

Members who believe their paid sick leave rights may have been affected may contact the ICA directly for information about the law or the complaint process.

Industrial Commission of Arizona – Labor Department
Paid Sick Leave Information and Complaints
https://www.azica.gov/labor-minimum-wage-main-page

Arizona law also prohibits retaliation for asserting paid sick leave rights or for contacting the ICA.

Questions?

If you are unsure whether this applies to your situation or want help understanding next steps, Council 9 is available to talk through the facts with you. Contact the C9 Family Leave Committee at afaden.org.

Reporting Violations Under Arizona Paid Sick Leave Law

Arizona’s paid sick leave law is enforced by the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA). The ICA uses different forms depending on the type of issue. Choosing the correct form matters.

Earned Paid Sick Time Claim Form

Use this form when the issue involves points or compliance, but no discipline or termination.

This form may be appropriate if:

Attendance points were assessed after a paid sick call
Paid sick leave was not credited, paid, or properly recorded
The employer failed to provide required notice or posting
Sick time use was discouraged, but no formal discipline occurred

Earned Paid Sick Time Claim Form:
https://www.azica.gov/forms/earned-paid-sick-time-claim-form

This form is used to report violations of the paid sick leave requirements themselves, such as improper point assessment or failure to comply with the law’s protections.

EPST / Minimum Wage Retaliation Claim Form

Use this form when the issue involves discipline, termination, or other adverse action.

This form may be appropriate if:

You were disciplined after using paid sick leave
You were terminated and paid sick leave contributed to the decision
You were suspended, demoted, or otherwise penalized for using or asserting sick leave rights
You experienced retaliation for asking about or reporting paid sick leave rights

EPST / Minimum Wage Retaliation Claim Form:
https://www.azica.gov/forms/epstminimum-wage-retaliation-claim-form

This form is specifically for retaliation or discrimination related to the exercise of paid sick leave rights. The ICA directs employees to use this form, rather than the general sick time claim form, when discipline or termination is involved.

Important notes

Complaints must be filed in the name of the affected employee
Council 9 cannot file a state complaint on a member’s behalf
Council 9 can help members understand which form applies, locate records, and review questions about the process
Arizona law also prohibits retaliation for filing a complaint or contacting the ICA

ICA contact information

Industrial Commission of Arizona – Labor Department
Paid Sick Leave Information and Complaints
https://www.azica.gov/labor-minimum-wage-main-page