(A) A person may not:

(1) engage in professional employer services without holding a license under this chapter as a professional employer organization or a professional employer organization group;

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-68-150

  • Client company: means a person that contracts with a licensee and is assigned employees by the licensee under that contract. See South Carolina Code 40-68-10
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Department: means the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs. See South Carolina Code 40-68-10
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Person: means an individual, association, corporation, partnership, or other private legal entity. See South Carolina Code 40-68-10
  • Professional employer organization: means an individual business entity that offers professional employer services. See South Carolina Code 40-68-10
  • Professional employer organization group: means a combination of professional employer services companies that operates under a group license issued under § 40-68-80. See South Carolina Code 40-68-10
  • Professional employer services: means an arrangement by which employees of a licensee are assigned to work at a client company and in which employment responsibilities are shared by the licensee and the client company. See South Carolina Code 40-68-10

(2) use the name or title "staff leasing services company", "licensed staff leasing services company", "licensed staff leasing services group", or "professional employer organization", "licensed professional employer organization", "licensed professional employer organization group", "professional employer organization group", "staff leasing services group", or otherwise represent that it is licensed under this chapter, unless the entity holds a license issued under this chapter;

(3) represent as the person’s own the license of another person or represent that a person is licensed if the person does not hold a license;

(4) give false or forged evidence to the department in connection with obtaining or renewing a license or in connection with disciplinary proceeding under this chapter;

(5) use or attempt to use a license that has expired or been revoked;

(6) offer an employee a self-funded, self-insured, or other employee benefit plan not licensed under Title 38, unless the program is maintained by the client company individually for the sole benefit of participating co-employees of the client company; or

(7) misrepresent that any self-funded, self-insured, or unlicensed benefit plans are licensed under Title 38 or otherwise in compliance with ERISA.

(B) A person who voluntarily violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than fifty thousand dollars, or both.