South Carolina Payroll Rules

Frequency & Manner of Payments

South Carolina does not have any laws dictating how often to pay your employees.

You may pay your employees by cash, check, or direct deposit.

Payment Upon Separation

If you discharge an employee for any reason, you must pay the employee within 48 hours of the discharge.

Deductions

You can only make a deduction from an employee’s paycheck if

• permitted by state or federal law,
• you have given the employee written notice of the withholding or deduction at time of hire, or
• you have given the employee at least seven (7) days written notice of the withholding or deduction.

Uniforms & Other Required Equipment or Tools

South Carolina does not have any laws about whether you can require an employee to purchase a uniform or equipment necessary for them to do their job.

Pre-Hire Medical, Physical, & Drug Tests

South Carolina does not have any laws about whether you can require employees to pay for pre-hire exams.

Notice of Wage Reduction

If you plan on reducing an employee’s wages, you must give them seven (7) advance notice in writing.

Paystubs

Each payday, you must give each employee a paystub, which includes their gross pay and deductions made.

Recordkeeping

For each employee, you must keep the following records for at least three (3) years:

• name and address,
• wages paid each payday, and
• deductions made each payday.

Notices

When you hire an employee, you must notify them in writing of

• their normal hours,
• agreed upon wages,
• time and place of payment, and
• deductions that will be made, including payments to insurance programs.

You can satisfy this requirement by posting the notification conspicuously.

You must notify any employee of changes to those terms at least seven (7) days in advance.