Arizona onboarding looks like federal onboarding plus two state-specific must-dos: universal E-Verify and the earned-paid-sick-time notice. Here's the checklist.
Work authorization: I-9 + E-Verify
Complete the federal Form I-9 (edition 01/20/2025), then — because Arizona mandates it for every employer (A.R.S. § 23-214) — create an E-Verify case within 3 business days of the first day of work (a deadline set by the federal E-Verify memorandum of understanding, not by the Arizona statute, which sets none). See our Arizona E-Verify guide for the details and penalties.
Required notices & reporting
Provide the earned-paid-sick-time notice at hire, report the new hire to the state within 20 days, and collect tax forms — federal W-4 and Arizona Form A-4 (state withholding election).
Required postings
Post the Industrial Commission of Arizona minimum wage and earned paid sick time notices, the ACRD discrimination notice, the ADOSH job-safety poster, and workers'-compensation notices — plus the federal posters (FLSA, EEOC, FMLA at 50+ (public agencies/schools any size), OSHA, USERRA, EPPA).
Handbook & policies
An Arizona handbook should carry a clear at-will disclaimer, an earned-paid-sick-time policy, an anti-harassment/anti-retaliation policy (remember: 1-employee coverage for harassment), a drug-and-alcohol policy drafted around the medical-marijuana protections, and a safety policy (Arizona has no general written safety-program/IIPP mandate — a written plan is required only where a specific ADOSH standard requires one).
Practical takeaways
Build the 3-business-day E-Verify step into day one, hand over the sick-time notice with the offer paperwork, keep signed acknowledgments (handbook, policies, any wage deductions), and verify your poster set against the ICA each year.
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