• The Industrial Commission of Arizona administers the state's labor laws.arizona state flag image by JJAVA from Fotolia.com
  
  The statutes that decree the employment practices and working conditions for Arizona employees are administered by the Industrial Commission of Arizona. The statutes are enforced by the commission's Labor Department, which oversees minimum wage compliance, wage payment guidelines, wage claim disputes and youth employment laws.
  
  

Minimum Wage

• Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) 23-363 defines the state's minimum wage guidelines. On November 7, 2006, Arizonians voted to raise Arizona's minimum wage by tying it to the United States Consumer Price Index (U.S. CPI). Prior to this vote, Arizona's minimum wage rate was linked to the federal minimum wage rate. Changes are now determined by the prior year's U.S. CPI. The first increase was effective as of January 1, 2007, and the rate was $6.75 per hour. The January 1, 2008, rate was $6.90 per hour. The rate was increased to $7.25 per hour on January 1, 2009.
  
  There was a decrease in the U.S. CPI for 2009. The Industrial Commission of Arizona announced that Arizona's minimum wage statutes don't address decreases in the U.S. CPI. The commission determined that the minimum wage rate for 2010 would remain at $7.25 per hour.
  
  

Payment of Wages

• A.R.S. 23-351 requires employers to pay Arizona wage earners at a frequency of at least twice per month. The period between paydays cannot exceed more than 16 days. Employees that are classified as professional, administrative, executives or outside salespersons may be paid once a month. Wage payments must be personally delivered to Arizona employees no later than five days after the end of the most recent pay period.
  
  Statutes A.R.S. 23-352 through A.R.S. 23-354 define the conditions that must be met when withholding monies from wages and issuing pay to discharged workers, as well as wage claim preferences in the event of insolvency or death.
  
  

Wage Claims

• A.R.S. 23-355 defines the civil options that an employee has when an employer has failed to pay wages as required. The statute gives the employee the right to recover triple the amount of the unpaid wages. A.R.S. 23-356 provides an alternate noncivil option in cases where the unpaid wages don't exceed $2,500 and the amount has been owed for less than one year. If the claim meets these conditions, the Labor Department will pursue the matter on behalf of the employee. A.R.S. 23-357 through A.R.S. 23-361 define Labor Department processes and procedures for investigating and resolving wage payment conflicts.
  
  

Youth Employment

• As a general rule, Arizona's child labor standards match those of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. There are some variations. A.R.S. 23-233 work schedule restrictions for minors under 16 years of age differ from those of the FLSA. A.R.S. 23-234 imposes age restrictions for minors serving as newspaper carriers; the FLSA newspaper delivery exemption doesn't. A.R.S. 23-235 provides a more defined list of persons that are to be considered when applying the FLSA parental exemption. A.R.S. 23-236 through A.R.S. 23-242 stipulate the rules and procedures for addressing youth employment variances and violations.