It is important for both employers and employees to keep up with current South Carolina (SC) wage and hour laws. These laws serve to establish a standard for all workers and employers.
South Carolina’s minimum wage is currently $5.15 per hour, which is the same wage requirement set by the federal government. There is some talk to raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 using a three-step wage increase process. This could affect states like South Carolina who still pay their workers the current federal minimum wage.
South Carolina employees are only required to give a 30 minute break after five hours worth of work to those aged 17 and younger. This break time must be uninterrupted. Since there are no South Carolina (SC) wage and hour laws which specifically address this issue, South Carolina uses federal laws to regulate all breaks-for minors as well as adults.
According to federal wage and hour laws an employer who chooses to gives a short break (usually 5 to 20 minutes) to an adult aged worker, the employer must count it as hours worked. If an employer gives breaks that are 30 minutes or longer those breaks do not have to be paid for by the employer if the employee is free from all duties during that break time.
No provisions exist within South Carolina (SC) wage and hour laws pertaining to overtime, and South Carolina adopts the federal standard concerning this issue. Overtime must be paid to employees who work more than 40 hours within a seven day work week.
Those who work overtime in South Carolina will be paid one and a half times the regular pay for those extra hours work. Employees in South Carolina that are not required to pay overtime include certain agricultural workers, as well as administrative, professional, and executive employees.
In addition, South Carolina (SC) wage and hour laws state very clearly that paid hours such as holiday time, sick leave, vacation days, or other time off are not counted as actual work hours. Therefore, those hours do not count towards overtime pay.
South Carolina (SC) wage and hour laws are primarily adaptations of federal wage and hour laws. These laws were created to help improve working conditions within the United States, including in the state of South Carolina.
