Arizona Workplace Violence Laws: Employer Duties and Injunctions

Arizona has no single workplace violence statute. Employers and employees work with a set of separate laws instead: a general duty to keep the workplace safe, a court injunction built for employers, criminal laws on threats and assault, and rules on guns, hiring and leave. This guide explains each one.

Researchers and the FBI sort workplace violence into four types: criminal intent (Type 1), customer or client (Type 2), worker-on-worker (Type 3) and personal relationship (Type 4). For the services side, see our workplace violence prevention and response services.

In 2024, 733 U.S. workers died from violent acts at work, and 470 of those deaths were homicides, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This article is general information, not legal advice; talk to an Arizona attorney about your situation. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Where this guidance comes from. We draw on BLS, NIOSH, OSHA, FBI and BJS sources and on the current text of Arizona statutes, plus our team’s field experience running security posts and investigations for Arizona employers.

The federal baseline: OSHA and the general duty clause

There is no federal OSHA standard written specifically for workplace violence. OSHA relies on Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, the General Duty Clause, which requires a workplace “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”

OSHA’s enforcement directive, CPL 02-01-058, took effect January 10, 2017. It focuses on four sectors: healthcare and social service, late-night retail, taxi and livery driving, and correctional facilities. A citation requires four elements:

• Employees were exposed to a hazard.
• The hazard was recognized.
• It caused or was likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
• A feasible means of abatement existed.

In 2019, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission decided Secretary of Labor v. Integra Health Management. According to a summary by ArentFox Schiff, it held that violence can be cited under the General Duty Clause when there is a “direct nexus” between the work and the risk and the hazard was “reasonably foreseeable.”

A federal rule for healthcare and social assistance (RIN 1218-AD08) has stalled. The Spring 2025 agenda moved it to Long-Term Actions, and reginfo.gov lists the proposed rule as “To Be Determined.” As of October 2026, no proposed rule has been published. Our OSHA-aligned prevention program guide covers the basics.

Arizona’s state plan: ADOSH and A.R.S. 23-403(A)

Arizona runs an OSHA-approved state plan through ADOSH, part of the Industrial Commission of Arizona. It covers private-sector workplaces plus state and local government employers. Exceptions include maritime employment, federal contractors and Indian reservations.

A.R.S. 23-403(A) uses the same words as the federal clause. Arizona has no separate violence standard, so the same general-duty language applies: a known, foreseeable risk of violence is the kind of hazard it reaches.

A.R.S. 12-1810: the injunction against workplace harassment

This is the main Arizona tool built for employers. It lets the business, not a frightened employee, ask a court to keep a threatening person away.

Who files, and what counts as harassment

An employer or its authorized agent files a written verified petition with a magistrate, justice of the peace or superior court judge. “Employer” includes the state, political subdivisions and school districts. Each petition can name only one defendant, and a person under 12 can be enjoined only by the juvenile division.

Harassment means “a single threat or act of physical harm or damage or a series of acts over any period of time that would cause a reasonable person to be seriously alarmed or annoyed.” It also covers unlawful picketing and trespassory assembly. One credible threat can be enough.

Consider a hypothetical: a former employee leaves a voicemail saying he will come back and hurt a supervisor. Because 12-1810 accepts a single threat, the employer would not have to wait for a pattern before filing.

What the petition must say

The petition states the employer’s name, the defendant’s name and address if known, and “a specific statement showing the events and dates of the acts that constitute harassment.”

The court’s standard and the relief available

The court can issue the order without a further hearing if it finds “reasonable evidence of workplace harassment” or good cause to believe “great or irreparable harm” would result. If it denies relief, it may set a hearing within ten days.

The order can keep the defendant away from the employer’s property and bar contact with anyone there or performing official work duties. The court may also grant “any other relief necessary.”

Hearings, service and duration

• The defendant may request a hearing at any time while the order is in effect. It is held within ten days of the request.
• The injunction takes effect on service and expires one year after service.
• If it is not served within one year of issuance, it expires.
• Peace officers may serve it. Proof of service is filed within 72 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.

Notice, arrest and courts

When the employer knows a specific person is targeted, it “shall make a good faith effort to provide notice” to that person that it intends to petition. A peace officer may arrest, with or without a warrant, on probable cause of a violation. Municipal and justice courts may hear these cases.

Limits: speech, immunity and the duty to keep people safe

An injunction cannot prohibit constitutionally protected speech or activity. Under subsection (R), an employer is immune from civil liability for seeking or not seeking an injunction, unless it seeks one “primarily to accomplish a purpose for which the injunction was not designed.”

Subsection (M) says the statute does not change “the duty of an employer to provide a safe workplace.” An injunction is one tool. It does not replace security, threat assessment or a prevention program.

How 12-1810 compares with 12-1809 and orders of protection

Two other civil orders are filed by the individual, not the employer.

An injunction against harassment under A.R.S. 12-1809 requires “a series of acts” directed at a specific person. It can keep the defendant away from the person’s residence, place of employment or school and expires one year after service. A single act is not enough.

An order of protection under A.R.S. 13-3602 requires a domestic relationship, such as a spouse, former partner or relative, and an act of domestic violence within the past year (or longer for good cause). It can cover the plaintiff’s place of employment and expires two years after service. An employee may seek this order while the employer seeks its own 12-1810 injunction.

Arizona criminal laws that apply to workplace violence

Criminal charges are a separate track from civil orders, handled by police and prosecutors.

Threatening or intimidating (A.R.S. 13-1202)

It is a crime to threaten or intimidate “by word or conduct” to cause physical injury or serious property damage, or to cause serious public inconvenience such as evacuating a building. It is generally a class 1 misdemeanor and a class 6 felony in certain cases, such as retaliation for reporting a crime.

Harassment (A.R.S. 13-2921)

Criminal harassment is conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to be seriously alarmed, annoyed, humiliated or mentally distressed, such as repeated unwanted contact or surveillance. It is generally a class 1 misdemeanor.

Stalking (A.R.S. 13-2923)

Stalking includes maintaining visual or physical proximity to a person and GPS or electronic surveillance. It is a class 5 felony, or a class 3 felony when it causes reasonable fear of death.

Aggravated assault on protected workers (A.R.S. 13-1204)

Under A.R.S. 13-1204(A)(8), assault is aggravated when the person knows or has reason to know the victim is a protected worker, including first responders, teachers and school employees, health care workers and public transit employees. It is a class 6 felony.

Guns in the parking lot: A.R.S. 12-781

An Arizona employer “shall not establish, maintain or enforce a policy or rule” that bans lawfully transporting or storing a firearm in a person’s locked, privately owned vehicle when the firearm is not visible from outside. Violating policies are “null and void.” Exceptions include:

• Possession is prohibited by state or federal law, or compliance would violate other law.
• Employer-owned vehicles, unless firearm duties are required or the employer consents.
• A parking area that is fenced or physically secured, limits access with a guard or similar measure, and provides temporary secure firearm storage.
• Alternative parking nearby at no extra charge.
• Nuclear generating stations, single-family residences and DOD contractors on military bases.

The statute addresses locked vehicles only. Have an Arizona attorney review any firearms policy.

Hiring, retention and supervision: A.R.S. 12-558.03

Negligent hiring, retention and supervision claims argue that an employer knew or had reason to know an employee posed an undue risk of harm and failed to act.

Under A.R.S. 12-558.03(A), “an employer is not liable for hiring an employee or contracting with an independent contractor who has previously been convicted of a criminal offense.” Negligent supervision claims remain, though. The protection also excludes “a violent offense or the improper use of excessive force” when the person was hired as a law enforcement officer or security guard. Careful pre-employment background checks and documented supervision still matter.

If you hire security: A.R.S. 32-2622

Under A.R.S. 32-2622, Arizona security guards must be at least 18, authorized to work, and free of felony convictions or pending felony charges, plus certain recent misdemeanors involving violence, dishonesty, theft or domestic violence. Armed guards cannot be prohibited possessors. Ask any armed security provider to confirm its officers’ DPS registrations.

Leave for employees affected by violence

Earned paid sick time (A.R.S. 23-373). Employees can use sick time for absences “necessary due to domestic violence, sexual violence, abuse or stalking,” such as medical care, counseling, relocation or legal proceedings. Employees accrue one hour per 30 hours worked, capped at 24 hours a year at employers with fewer than 15 employees and 40 hours at larger ones.

Crime victim leave (A.R.S. 13-4439). Employers with 50 or more employees must let a crime victim leave work to attend specified criminal proceedings or to seek an order of protection or injunction. The leave may be unpaid. An employer may not dismiss the employee for using it, may limit leave that causes undue hardship, and must keep records confidential.

Arizona workplace violence laws at a glance

Law	What it covers	Who uses it	Duration/penalty
OSH Act 5(a)(1)	Federal general duty to prevent recognized serious hazards	OSHA	Civil citation
A.R.S. 23-403(A)	Arizona’s matching general duty clause	ADOSH	State plan enforcement
A.R.S. 12-1810	Workplace harassment injunction; one threat or act can qualify	Employer	One year after service
A.R.S. 12-1809	Harassment injunction; series of acts	Individual	One year after service
A.R.S. 13-3602	Order of protection; domestic relationship	Individual	Two years after service
A.R.S. 13-1202	Threatening or intimidating	Police, prosecutors	Class 1 misdemeanor; felony in some cases
A.R.S. 13-2921	Harassment	Police, prosecutors	Class 1 misdemeanor
A.R.S. 13-2923	Stalking	Police, prosecutors	Class 5 or class 3 felony
A.R.S. 13-1204(A)(8)	Assault on protected workers	Police, prosecutors	Class 6 felony
A.R.S. 12-781	Firearms in locked private vehicles	Employees, employers	Conflicting policies void
A.R.S. 12-558.03	Hiring people with prior convictions	Employers	Exceptions for guards and officers
A.R.S. 23-373	Sick time for domestic violence needs	Employees	24 or 40 hours a year
A.R.S. 13-4439	Crime victim leave	Employees (50+ employers)	No dismissal for using it

What an Arizona employer should do

• Write a prevention program. Put your policy, roles, hazard review, controls and training in writing, and review it yearly.
• Make reporting easy. Name a person to receive reports, offer an anonymous option, and ask employees to report threats from anyone, including partners and former coworkers.
• Set up threat assessment. Have a small team from HR, security, legal and management evaluate concerning behavior, especially before high-risk terminations.
• Be injunction-ready. Decide who may file a 12-1810 petition, which court you will use, and how you will notify a targeted employee.
• Plan security posts. Decide when you need access control or an officer, and give officers any active injunction.
• Document everything. Keep dated records of threats, incidents, witnesses and responses.

Related: the four types of workplace violence. Read our guides to threats between coworkers and domestic violence that follows an employee to work.

Frequently asked questions

Does Arizona have a workplace violence law?

Not a single one. Arizona relies on several laws together: the general duty clause in A.R.S. 23-403(A), the employer injunction in A.R.S. 12-1810, criminal laws on threats and assault, and rules on firearms, hiring and leave.

What is an injunction against workplace harassment in Arizona?

It is a civil court order under A.R.S. 12-1810 that an employer or its authorized agent requests. It can bar one defendant from the employer’s property and from contacting anyone there or performing official work duties. A single threat or act of physical harm or damage can qualify.

How long does an Arizona workplace harassment injunction last?

It takes effect when served and expires one year after service. If it is not served within one year of issuance, it expires. The defendant can request a hearing, held within ten days.

Can an Arizona employer ban guns at work?

Under A.R.S. 12-781, an employer generally cannot enforce a policy banning a lawfully stored firearm in an employee’s locked, privately owned vehicle when it is not visible from outside. The statute lists exceptions, such as a secured, guarded lot with temporary firearm storage. Have an Arizona attorney review any firearms policy.

Is threatening someone at work a crime in Arizona?

It can be. A.R.S. 13-1202 makes it a crime to threaten or intimidate, by word or conduct, to cause physical injury to someone or serious damage to their property. It is generally a class 1 misdemeanor and can be a felony in certain cases.

Does OSHA require a workplace violence program in Arizona?

No federal or Arizona rule specifically requires one for most employers as of October 2026. But the general duty clause, mirrored in A.R.S. 23-403(A), requires a workplace free from recognized serious hazards, and a written program is a common way to address a known risk.

How Honeybadger Solutions helps Arizona employers

Honeybadger Solutions is a veteran-owned firm in Casa Grande serving the Phoenix metro, Pinal County and Tucson. We offer behavioral threat assessments, prevention programs and training, security assessments, armed and unarmed security officers, executive protection, background checks, surveillance and investigations.

When a threat surfaces, we can document incidents in a court-ready form for your attorney and post officers while an injunction is pending or in force. We work alongside your Arizona counsel. Submit a confidential service request online or book a consultation. For something that cannot wait for business hours, use the urgent intake form.

Why the online intake is faster than a phone call: it takes about two minutes, and your answers are routed straight to the specialist team that handles your kind of matter, whether that is cyber and forensics, investigations or field security. That team sees the full picture before it replies, so you skip phone tag and get a real answer and next steps sooner. If it cannot wait for business hours, use the urgent intake form, which is read seven days a week.

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