State Personnel System (SPS) agency employees are expected to manage and use their excess annual leave balance to ensure they don’t lose it. For agencies, boards and commissions under the State Personnel System, the maximum number of annual leave hours an employee may carry over into a new calendar year is 320 hours for uncovered employees and 240 hours for covered employees.  Any hours in excess of the maximum carryover limits are subject to forfeiture with few exceptions.  Employees who use the pilot Paid Parental Leave (PPL) and / or expanded Family Sick Leave options AND anticipate excess annual leave hours should meet with their agency Human Resources to determine if they are eligible to request an exception.

It is important that employees closely manage their annual leave balances through the remainder of the year and schedule leave with their supervisor so that impacts on end of year coverage are minimal and carryover exception requests are significantly reduced. 

There should not be any expectation that unused excess leave will be approved for carryover, even if it has been approved in the past. Employees and managers can monitor annual leave balances by logging in to Y.E.S. and clicking on Leave Activity.

On September 7, 2023, Governor Hobbs announced changes to the family leave offerings for eligible State Personnel System (SPS) employees. The changes are effective September 2, 2023.

Summary of Changes

1. The State established a new Paid Parental Leave (PPL) pilot program to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to eligible employees following the birth of a child, or the new placement of a foster or adoptive child in the home occurring on or after January 1, 2023. Employees no longer need to use their own leave balances or take leave without pay when they add to their families. This PPL must be taken within the 12 months following the birth or placement of the child, unless an exception is granted.
2. The State is increasing from 40 to 480 hours the maximum amount of earned sick leave hours an employee may use per calendar year to care for a sick spouse, dependent child or parent. So, employees may now use more of their regularly accrued sick leave to care for their loved ones.
3. For cases where both spouses are state employees, each spouse may use a maximum of 12 workweeks of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Leave for the birth and care of a newborn child, placement of a child for adoption or foster care, or to care for a parent who has a serious health condition. And each spouse can use up to 26 work weeks of leave to care for an eligible military service member with a serious injury or illness.

The HRD website https://hr.az.gov/family-leave-expansion provides more information, including Statewide Policy ASPS/HRD-PA6.05, Family Sick and Paid Parental Leave Pilot Program, a Frequently Asked Questions document, and a request form for Paid Parental Leave. For more information about these new policies, please contact your HR representative.

On July 1, the ASRS will begin a new fiscal year – FY 2023-24. For members, this is always when new contribution rates go into effect. Starting July 1, 2023, the new total contribution rate will be 12.29%, an increase of slightly more than a tenth of a percent from the FY 2022-23 rate of 12.17%.  Visit azasrs.gov for more information.

You can now access AZPerforms and RWA from one link in YES. Just click 'AZPerforms/Remote Work' on your left side menu.

The AZPerforms / RWA system will be offline Monday, May 8, 2023, from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM (Arizona Time).

We appreciate your patience.

AZPerforms/Remote Work Agreement Platform is back online!

If you have trouble logging in, please follow the steps below:

1. Clear your cache and restart your computer BEFORE logging in.
2. Log in via YES. Select the Your Employee Services > AZPerforms bookmark.
3. If prompted, enter your YES Username and Password.
4. Select LOG IN WITH SAML (last option).

As always, if you need help please contact our HRIS service desk and we’d be happy to help.
[email protected]
Thank you for your patience as we continuously strive for excellence in the system.

Learn about Deferred Compensation and how this important employee benefit can assist you in Saving for the Future. 

Virtual meetings will be held at various times throughout February, March and April 2023.

Deferred Compensation flyer

Sign up here

Any existing additional dollar amounts an employee had chosen to be withheld will not be changed.

• Beginning 12/31/22: Employees can change their tax withholding from the default 2.0% if they choose to.
• 01/10/23 by 1 pm: Deadline to make changes to the 2.0% default rate that the state moved all employees to on 12/30/22.
• On 01/12/2023: The first payday with the new A-4 rates will be used for calculating AZ withholding taxes.
  • NOTE: Employees have the option to update their A-4 at any time during the tax year but are encouraged to consult with their tax advisor related to these new updates from AZDOR to determine how they may be affected.

Your Excess Annual Leave balances in YES will not be updated this upcoming pay period. Leave taken and/or accrued during the 12/10 - 12/23 pay period will NOT be reflected in the excess annual leave balances posted in YES on the leave balances tab. Please take this into consideration when planning for the avoidance of forfeiture of excess hours.

Arizona tax rates have decreased and as a result, AZDOR has revised withholding percentages and is requiring taxpayers to complete a new Form A-4 for 2023. Due to this change, every employee is required to fill out a new Arizona A-4 form effective for wages paid after January 1, 2023 unless they qualify to complete:

A-4V “Voluntary Withholding Request for Arizona Resident Employed Outside Arizona”

WEC “Withholding Exemption Certificate” for Arizona Nonresidents

WECI “Withholding Exemption Certificate, Native Americans with Instructions”

WECM “Withholding Exemption Certificate for Military Spouses”

PLEASE BE AWARE: To ensure compliance with AZDOR requirements, on 12/30/22, the State will change ALL employee records to the default rate of 2.0%. Any existing additional dollar amounts an employee had chosen to be withheld will not be changed.

• On 12/30/2022: ALL employees are defaulted to 2.0% rate. Any existing additional dollar amounts will not be changed.
• Beginning 12/31/22: Employees can change their tax withholding from the default 2.0% if they choose to.
• 01/10/23 by 1 pm: Deadline to make changes to the 2.0% rate that the state defaulted all employees to on 12/30/22.
• On 01/12/2023: the first payday that the new A-4 rates will be used for calculating AZ withholding taxes.
  • NOTE: Employees have the option to update their A-4 at any time during the tax year but are encouraged to consult with their tax advisor related to these new updates from AZDOR to determine how they may be affected.

NEW RATES

% of gross taxable wages starting January 2023

0.0% -- See Note 1 below

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0% -- New default rate

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

Note 1: Only available if the employee had no tax liability last year and does not expect to have any tax liability in the current year. Annual renewal required.