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Last updated on: May 23rd, 2022
Hours & Pay Regulations
Normal Working Hours
The Fair Labor Standards Act defines the workweek as a fixed and recurring period of 168 hours comprised of seven consecutive 24-hour periods that do not need to coincide with the calendar week. It is adjustable only if the change is designed to be permanent. Each week is considered on its own for purposes of calculating overtime. The hours of two or more weeks may not be averaged.
Overtime
South Carolina has no general provision governing overtime pay, but most employees would be subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires that all nonexempt employees be paid at a rate of one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a week.
Breaks
Breast Feeding Break
S.C. Code Ann. § 63-5-40 (2005) provides that a woman may breastfeed her child in any location where the mother is authorized to be and that the act of breastfeeding is not considered indecent exposure.
Sunday Work
Under state law, an employee may refuse to work on Sunday without penalty. Discrimination is prohibited against persons whose regular day of worship is Saturday. Employing minors in a mercantile or manufacturing establishment on a Sunday is prohibited. Employees of retail stores with three or more employees must be granted leave to attend religious services, including one hour before the service to prepare and one hour after the service to return.
Whenever any of the legal holidays shall fall upon Sunday the Monday next following shall be deemed a public holiday and whenever any of the holidays mentioned in such section shall fall upon Saturday the Friday next preceding shall be deemed a public holiday for all of the purposes aforesaid. In such cases, all bills of exchange, checks and promissory notes which would otherwise be presentable for acceptance or payment on any such Monday or Friday shall be deemed to be presentable for acceptance or payment on the secular or business day next succeeding the holiday. Private employers are not obligated by state law to provide any holidays as paid (or unpaid) days off. However, most employers observe several paid holidays. State law generally prohibits the operation of business before 1:30 pm on Sunday, but numerous exemptions make the restriction nearly meaningless.
Annual Leave
State law does not require an employer to provide an employee with vacation pay benefits. However, if an employer decides to do so, he must give notice of the policy to the employee, abide by the policy, and not discriminate in its administering of the policy.
Minimum Wage
South Carolina has no minimum wage law. That means eligible employees in South Carolina are entitled to the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour.
The above information on minimum wages might not be up to date & subject to change. Kindly access the DOL website for the current rates.
Special Leave
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- To fail or refuse to hire, bar, discharge from employment, or otherwise discriminate against an individual with respect to the individual’s compensation or terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of the individual’s race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or disability; or
- To limit, segregate, or classify employees or applicants for employment in a way which would deprive or tend to deprive an individual of employment opportunities, or otherwise adversely affect the individual’s status as an employee, because of the individual’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability; or
- To reduce the wage rate of an employee in order to comply with the provisions of this chapter relating to age; or
- To fail or refuse to make reasonable accommodations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions of an applicant for employment or an employee, unless the employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the business of the employer; or
- To deny employment opportunities to a job applicant or employee, if the denial is based on the need of the employer to make reasonable accommodations to the known limitations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions of an applicant for employment or an employee; or
- To require an applicant for employment or an employee affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions to accept an accommodation that the applicant or employee chooses not to accept, if the applicant or employee does not have a known limitation related to pregnancy, or if the accommodation is unnecessary for the applicant or employee to perform the essential duties of her job; or
- To require an employee to take leave under any leave law or policy of the employer if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to the known limitations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
- to take adverse action against an employee in the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment for requesting or using a reasonable accommodation to the known limitations for medical needs arising from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
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State employees are allowed 30 days of paid leave for organ donation. (§8- 11-65).
