In South Carolina, there is no state-specific law that limits the number of hours an adult employee can work straight in a single day or week.
However, labeling an employee as part-time does not change the application of FLSA requirements. The IRS, meanwhile, considers a part-time employee to be someone who works less than 30 hours per week or less than 130 hours per month.
It is not legal in the US per OSHA regulations for an employer to work an employee 8 hours without a scheduled break. In fact, the OSHA rules are to be posted in every break room.
Some employers try to avoid paying overtime by moving their employee's hours between workweeks or averaging it between two workweeks. For example, some employers will try to avoid paying overtime to an employee who works 50 hours by only having them work 30 hours the following week.
There are a few professional ways to politely decline overtime work requests: Express your availability. Explain that you have prior commitments or personal obligations that prevent you from working overtime during that time period. Offer to help another time if possible. Suggest alternatives.
The law allows employers to classify those employees earning over $455 per week as salaried workers. In this case, overtime regulations don't apply. For that reason, employers attempt to misclassify employees making below that threshold as salaried and avoid paying overtime rates in this way.
5 Tips to Avoid Overtime at Work Manage your workload. Lessen distractions. Stick to a schedule. Know your limits. Take short breaks.