South Carolina does not have a general law regarding family and medical leave but laws regarding specific family leave, such as for state employees who are adoptive parents and state employees who need to care for ill family members can be found in Title 8, Chapter 11, Article 1 of the Code of the Laws of South Carolina Annotated. Leave for employees who donate bone marrow is located in Title 44, Chapter 43, Article 2 of the state's Code of Laws Annotated. Blood donors also have leave protection as stated by law in Title 8, Chapter 11, Article 1. Organ donation leave is also provided for in Title 8, Chapter 11.

44-43-80. Paid leaves of absence to employees to donate bone marrow.

(A) An employer may grant paid leaves of absence to an employee who seeks to undergo a medical procedure to donate bone marrow. As used in this section, "employer" means a person or entity that employs twenty or more employees at least at one site within this State and includes an individual, corporation, partnership, association, nonprofit organization, group of persons, state, county, city, or other governmental subdivision. "Employee" means a person who performs services for hire for an employer for an average of twenty or more hours a week and includes all individuals employed at a site owned or operated by an employer but does not include an independent contractor.

(B) The combined length of paid leaves of absence requested by an employee must be determined by the employee but may not exceed forty work hours unless the employer agrees to a longer period of time. The employer may require verification by a physician of the purpose and length of each paid leave of absence requested by the employee to donate bone marrow. If there is a medical determination that the employee does not qualify as a bone marrow donor, the paid leave of absence granted to the employee before that medical determination is not forfeited.

(C) An employer may not retaliate against an employee for requesting or obtaining a paid leave of absence as provided by this section.

(D) This section does not prevent an employer from providing a paid leave of absence for bone marrow donations in addition to leave allowed under this section. This section does not affect an employee's rights with respect to any other employment benefit.

8-11-40. Sick leave; Immediate family members.

(A) All full-time state employees in FTE positions are entitled to fifteen days' sick leave a year with pay. Sick leave is earned by full-time state employees in FTE positions at the rate of one and one-fourth days a month and may be accumulated, but no more than one hundred eighty days may be carried over from one calendar year to another. The department or agency head is authorized to grant additional sick leave in extenuating circumstances upon approval of the State Budget and Control Board. All part-time state employees in FTE positions are entitled to sick leave prorated on the basis of fifteen days a year subject to the same carry-over specified in this section. If an employee transfers from one state agency to another, his sick leave balance also is transferred. The State Budget and Control Board may promulgate regulations in accordance with law as may be necessary to administer the provisions of this section, including the power to define the use of sick leave.

(B) State employees in FTE positions who are physically attacked while in the performance of official duties and suffer bodily harm as a result of the attack must be placed on administrative leave with pay by their employers rather than sick leave. The period of administrative leave for each incident may not exceed one hundred eighty calendar days.

(C) Employees earning sick leave as provided in this section may use not more than ten days of sick leave annually to care for ill members of their immediate families. For purposes of this section, the employee's "immediate family" means the employee's spouse and children and the following relations to the employee or the spouse of the employee: mother, father, brother, sister, grandparent, legal guardian, and grandchildren.

8-11-65. Organ donation leave.

(A) All officers and employees of this State or a political subdivision of this State who wish to be an organ donor and who accrue annual or sick leave as part of their employment are entitled to leaves of absence from their respective duties without loss of pay, time, leave, or efficiency rating for one or more periods not exceeding an aggregate of thirty regularly scheduled workdays in any one fiscal year during which they may engage in the donation of their organs. Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays may not be included in the thirty-day aggregate unless the particular Saturday, Sunday, or holiday to be included is a regularly scheduled workday for the officer or employee involved.

(B) The officer or employee must show documentation from the attending physician of the proposed organ donation before leave is approved that confirms that the employee is the donor.

8-11-155. Use of sick leave to care for adopted child.

(A) An adoptive parent who is employed by this State, its departments, agencies, or institutions may use up to six weeks of his accrued sick leave to take time off for purposes of caring for the child after placement. The employer shall not penalize an employee for requesting or obtaining time off according to this .

(B) The leave authorized by this may be requested by the employee only if the employee is the person who is primarily responsible for furnishing the care and nurture of the child.

8-11-175. Blood drives and donations.

(A) State agencies may periodically arrange for volunteer blood drives for their agencies. The blood drives may be held at those times and places as may be determined by the agency head and the agency's employees are permitted to participate in the blood drive during the employee's work hours at those times as may be determined by the agency without using accrued leave.

(B) A state employee desiring to donate blood at a time other than an agency arranged volunteer blood drive must be excused from work by his employer during the employee's regular work hours for the purpose of making the donation without prejudice to the employee and no leave or make-up time may be required. Any employee desiring to donate blood as provided in this sub shall notify his employer of the scheduled donation and the amount of time needed for the donation as far in advance as may be practicable. The agency may deny the employee's request for time to donate pursuant to this sub if the absence of the employee would create an extraordinary burden on the agency. In considering the employee's request, the agency shall take into consideration such factors as the necessity and type of blood donation and any other factor the agency considers appropriate. The agency may as a condition of approving the request require the employee to provide documentation of the donation.