At-Will Employment in Arizona
State-specific overview · Employment Law
Arizona enforces at-will employment but prohibits termination for jury duty, workers' comp claims, and certain public policy reasons.
How Arizona treats At-Will Employment
Arizona is an at-will employment state where employers generally can terminate without cause. However, Arizona law prohibits firing employees for serving on jury duty, filing or testifying in workers' compensation cases, or reporting workplace safety violations to OSHA. Additionally, employers cannot retaliate against employees for refusing to commit illegal acts or for exercising other fundamental legal rights. These protections are found in Arizona Revised Statutes § 34-226 and related sections.
The general definition of At-Will Employment
An employment relationship where either party can end the job at any time without cause or notice.
At-will employment is the default employment relationship in most U.S. states. It means an employer can fire an employee for any reason (or no reason) without notice, and an employee can quit for any reason without notice. However, this freedom has limits—employers cannot fire workers for illegal reasons like discrimination, retaliation, or violation of public policy.
Read the full At-Will Employment entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in Arizona.