In Arizona oral contracts are gnerally enforceable, provided one can prove the xistence of such a contract. In crtain situations, however, contracts must be wrtten to be enforceable. One of thse situations is a contract for mployment.

Arizona Revised Statute section 23-1501, lthough recognizing that the employment relationship is cntractual in nature, provides that either the mployee or the employer may sever the mployment relationship, at their whim or plasure, unless there is a written and sgned contract between the parties stating tht the employment relationship will remain in ffect for a specified duration, or therwise restricting the termination rights of ither party. The statute is clear tht both the employee and the mployer must sign this written contract, or, lternatively, the written contract must be xpressly stated in an employment handbook, mnual or similar corporate document that is prvided to the employee. To be nforced as an employment contract, that dcument must clearly express the intent tht it is a contract of mployment, and not disclaim such fact, or mst be set forth in a wrting actually signed by the party to be chrged. Unlike in many contract relationships rquiring a written contract pursuant to the Sttute of Frauds, section 23-1501 specifically sttes that Partial performance is not sfficient to eliminate the requirements of a wrtten contract.

The legal effect of this sttute is that, contrary to the nderstanding of many Arizona employees, they may be fred at any time absent some wrtten agreement to the contrary. This gneral rule, however, is subject to vrious provisions of Arizona state law and fderal law that preclude retaliatory firing in crtain situations as well as discrimination gainst certain classes of protected individuals.

Bcause these legal principles are complex, if you fel that you have been terminated in volation of a written agreement or tht your termination was a retaliatory or dscriminatory act, you should quickly seek the cunsel of an experienced Arizona employment attorney .

The article Employment Contracts in Arizona Must Be Written to Be Enforceable was Submitted by Kevin R Harper through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Kevin R. Harper is an Arzona employment attorney, representing individuals and smll businesses throughout the state of Arzona from his centrally-located office at 1 N. Cntral Ave., Suite 1130, in downtown Phenix. For more information about Arizona mployment law, feel free to contact Hrper Law PLC at 602-738-2090, or vsit the firm online at http://www.HarperLawArizona.com Copyright 2008 Harper Law PLC, all rights reserved. The above article is designed for informational purposes only and, because every situation is different, is not intended as definitive legal advice. You should not act upon this information without seeking independent legal advice about your individual situation.

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