Greetings from the Employment Law Unit of South Carolina Legal Services! What do we do, you ask? Our Unit serves the civil legal needs of low-income South Carolinians with employment-related issues.
We help workers overcome legal barriers to a job, such as a criminal record that prevents a worker from being able to support his or her family, denial of an occupational license, or a driver’s license suspended due to an excessive fine that prevents a worker from being able to get to work. The purpose of these types of services is to increase individuals’ ability to find high-quality jobs and thereby strengthen our state’s workforce.
Other types of issues we help with include those arising on the job. Workers have a legal right to a safe workplace free of illegal discrimination, as well as a right to be paid all wages when due. We help workers protect these rights.
Finally, we assist with legal issues arising after separation from the job, such as preservation of unemployment benefits so that workers and their families have the support they need while they look for their next job opportunity.
While a large part of the work of the Employment Law Unit is fighting hard for our clients’ rights in the workplace, we also do all we can to educate workers about their rights and the legal tools that can help expand their employment opportunities. We present legal clinics throughout the state on various topics, including how people can overcome a criminal record using the expungement process, and how to get a driver’s license reinstated. Any group interested in having one of our attorneys speak on an employment-related topic is welcome to email a request to jackcohoon@sclegal.org or tiffneylove@sclegal.org.
The Employment Law Unit is here to serve you!
