questions & answers

Question: My employer provides hand written payroll checks every 2 weeks, however has never provided me with a paystub. In reading statutes, I was only able to find specific language regarding wage statements being required for electronic deposits. Annual statements are provided, however I have found discrepancies on these statements (amounts not matching checks received, pay dates missing from statements, pay dates listed on statement that weren't actually pay dates, incorrect taxes withheld). I have requested regular pay stubs, but they will not provide them. What can I do?

Answer: An employer may pay wages by check without issuing a separate paystub (A.R.S. § 23-351(D)). Any employee who believes that their employer owes them unpaid wages may either sue the employer in court (A.R.S. § 23-355(A)) or file a claim with the Labor Department of the Arizona Industrial Commission (A.R.S. § 23-356). Information about the wage claim process is available online here (under “Wage and Earned Paid Sick Time Disputes”): https://www.azica.gov/resources/employees. If any employee would like legal advice, there are links to free and low-cost legal services on this website at http://www.azlawhelp.org/accessToJustice.