South Carolina Labor and Employment Law

Home » Legal » South Carolina Labor And Employment Law

Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on South Carolina Labor and Employment Law

To avoid fines, it is important to understand South Carolina labor and employment law if you are a business owner in the state. South Carolina is an at-will-employment state, so there is little recourse for employees who feel they have been unfairly terminated. However, South Carolina does not allow discrimination while firing. Employees who believe discrimination was the cause of their dismissal can request an investigation by the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission. Employees who quit must be paid their wages within 48 hours or by the next scheduled payday.

Although South Carolina does not require your business to provide sick leave or vacation time, it does require that any benefits be administered fairly. Any sick leave or vacation day policies must be provided in written form to any employees. Your business must follow its policies and cannot discriminate when administering them according to South Carolina law.

If you would like to hire minors to work at your business, be aware that the child must be at least 14. Although South Carolina does not require a work permit for minors, the state does require that the child provide a potential employer with a birth certificate or other legal document as proof of age.

For other information about South Carolina labor and employment law, visit Business.com and click on some of the provided links.

Making the Most of South Carolina Labor and Employment Law

The key to making the most of South Carolina labor and employment law is engaging in fair hiring practices, complying with safety standards and keeping a good work environment. South Carolina labor law was originally intended to simply improve working conditions for employees, but it also improves the relationship between employers and employees. The resulting increase in productivity also increases profits for owners.

SC labor laws include regulations on specific issues such as break and lunch periods, employee-to-foreman ratios, job safety and the work environment. Labor laws must also be regularly updated to deal with changes in technology and work requirements.

South Carolina labor laws can be grouped into the following areas:

Overtime laws that govern how employees are to be paid after working their normal work day. These laws are most applicable for suits involving the restoration of overtime pay.
SC employment laws that deal with disabled workers, especially with regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Tax laws that affect damages earned for emotional distress on lawsuits. Recent changes in these laws mean that any settlement of this type will now be far lower.

Stay current on South Carolina employment laws

These laws can change frequently and it's essential that you keep up to date in order to protect your business from frivolous lawsuits and understand your rights as an employer.
Try: The SC Employment Law Blog posts regular blogs on employment and labor law in South Carolina. Helplinelaw.com provides excerpts of labor laws in South Carolina and also offers other resources such as the Constitution of South Carolina.

Study state guidelines to help you comply with South Carolina labor laws

South Carolina has official state websites that provide extensive information on employment regulations. There are also many other sites that provide summaries of state employment and labor laws.
Try: The South Carolina Legislature covers labor and employment laws under Title 41 of the state code. Learn more about labor laws at The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

Use attorneys that specialize in South Carolina employment law firms

Employment law attorneys can help you understand the often complex laws regarding your employees. Many of these attorneys also provide summaries of these laws on their websites.
Try: Gignilliat Savitz & Bettis in Columbia offers links to various resources on labor and employment law in South Carolina. Learn more about employment law with the resources and newsletters at Burnette & Rothstein.

Employers with three or more employees must display mandatory South Carolina labor law posters. This is required in order to comply with both the United States Department of Labor and South Carolina Department of Labor. The most common locations for these posters are areas where employees tend to congregate during breaks such as conference rooms, lunch rooms and near time clocks.