{"id":6803,"date":"2012-07-20T20:57:00","date_gmt":"2012-07-21T01:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=6803"},"modified":"2026-01-06T09:41:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:41:50","slug":"south-dakota-employment-law","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/","title":{"rendered":"South Dakota employment law overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-efae2095 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7fc3d43a wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8e1436f2 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">\n<p class=\"\">by <strong><strong><strong>The<\/strong> <strong>Brightmine Editorial Team<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">South Dakota has laws that provide greater protections to employees than federal law, including a higher minimum wage and health care continuation coverage obligations for smaller employers, but generally follows federal law with respect to topics such as overtime, leaves of absence and occupational safety and health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Select South Dakota employment requirements are summarized below to help an employer understand the range of employment laws affecting the employer-employee relationship in the state. An employer must <a href=\"\/us\/solutions\/hr-compliance\/\">comply<\/a> with both federal and state law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">An employer must also comply with applicable municipal law obligations affecting the employment relationship, in addition to complying with state and federal requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"eeo-diversity-employee-relations\">EEO, diversity and employee relations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Key South Dakota requirements impacting EEO, diversity and employee relations are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fair-employment-practices-sd\">Fair employment practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The South Dakota Human Relations Act (SDHRA) applies to all employers and prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of protected characteristics, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-brightmine-list-item-spacing-small\">\n<li class=\"\">Race<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Color<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Creed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Religion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Sex (including pregnancy)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Ancestry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">National origin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Disability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The law also prohibits an employer from retaliating against individuals who:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-brightmine-list-item-spacing-small\">\n<li class=\"\">File a charge under the SDHRA; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Testify, assist or participate in any way in an SDHRA investigation, hearing or other proceeding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Equal pay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">An employer may not pay wages to any employee in any occupation in the state at a rate less than the rate at which the employer pays any employee of the opposite sex for comparable work on jobs that have comparable requirements relating to skill, effort and responsibility, but not to physical strength. The law does permit pay differentials between male and female employees based on legitimate, nondiscriminatory factors (e.g., seniority system, job descriptive system, merit increase system, executive training program).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Be aware that where there is overlap between federal, state and\/or local law, complying with the law that offers the greatest rights or benefits to the employee will generally apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wage-hour\">Wage and hour<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Key South Dakota requirements impacting wages and hours are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"minimum-wage-sd\">Minimum wage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The minimum wage in South Dakota is $11.85 per hour. It is adjusted annually for inflation. A lower minimum wage rate may be paid to tipped employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"child-labor-sd\">Child labor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Child labor laws in South Dakota restrict the occupations in which some minors may be employed and the number of hours and times during which they may work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Minors under 16 generally may not be employed at any time in any occupation dangerous to life, health or morals, nor may any child be in any manner exploited by any employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Minors ages 15 and younger generally may not work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-brightmine-list-item-spacing-small\">\n<li class=\"\">More than four hours in any school day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">More than eight hours in any nonschool day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">More than 20 hours in any school week<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">More than 40 hours in any nonschool week<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">After 10:00 p.m. on any day that precedes a school day<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Be aware that where there is overlap between federal, state and\/or local law, complying with the law that offers the greatest rights or benefits to the employee will generally apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-secondary-light-gray-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fcdab8bb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">Want to make smarter, more-informed decisions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-font-size\" style=\"font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);font-style:normal;font-weight:500\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-secondary-blue-color has-primary-white-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"\/us\/products\/hr-compliance-center\/\" style=\"border-radius:100px\">Learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pay-benefits\">Pay and benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Key South Dakota requirements impacting pay and benefits are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"health-care-continuation-sd\">Health care continuation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Under South Dakota&#8217;s health care continuation coverage law, employers with fewer than 20 employees must permit eligible employees and their covered dependents to elect continued health care coverage if coverage is lost due to any of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-brightmine-list-item-spacing-small\">\n<li class=\"\">Termination of employment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Termination of coverage by the insurer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Employee&#8217;s death, divorce, legal separation or eligibility for Medicare<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Loss of dependent status<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Payment of wages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">South Dakota employers must pay all wages due in cash or by check. An employer may pay wages by direct deposit under certain circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pay-frequency-sd\">Pay frequency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">A South Dakota employer must pay all wages due to employees as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-brightmine-list-item-spacing-small\">\n<li class=\"\">At least once each calendar month; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">On regular, agreed-upon paydays designated in advance by the employer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Be aware that where there is overlap between federal, state and\/or local law, complying with the law that offers the greatest rights or benefits to the employee will generally apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"time-off-leaves-absence\">Time off and leaves of absence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">South Dakota has few laws relating to required time off and leaves of absence, which cover all employers. These laws include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-brightmine-list-item-spacing-small\">\n<li class=\"\">Jury duty leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Military leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Voting leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Legislative leave<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Be aware that where there is overlap between federal, state and\/or local law, complying with the law that offers the greatest rights or benefits to the employee will generally apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"health-safety\">Health and safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Key South Dakota requirements impacting health and safety are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"smoke-free-workplace-sd\">Smoke-free workplace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Smoking is banned in all enclosed workplaces in South Dakota, including bars and restaurants. Prohibited smoking includes the use of electronic smoking devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"safe-driving-practices-sd\">Safe driving practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">South Dakota prohibits the use of a mobile electronic device while driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Be aware that where there is overlap between federal, state and\/or local law, complying with the law that offers the greatest rights or benefits to the employee will generally apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"organizational-exit\">Organizational exit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Terminated employees must be paid by the next regular payday, or soon after the employee returns all employer property in their possession, if any.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Be aware that where there is overlap between federal, state and\/or local law, complying with the law that offers the greatest rights or benefits to the employee will generally apply.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--secondary-gray);border-left-width:2px;padding-left:10px;flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained wp-container-2 is-position-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-secondary-gray-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-db4c44a6 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding-top:10px;padding-right:10px;padding-bottom:10px;padding-left:10px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4b827052 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p style=\"margin-bottom:5px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400\" class=\"\">In this resource:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#eeo-diversity-employee-relations\">EEO, diversity and employee relations<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#wage-hour\">Wage and hour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#pay-benefits\">Pay and benefits<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#time-off-leaves-absence\">Time off and leaves of absence<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#health-safety\">Health and safety<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3\" class=\"\"><a href=\"#organizational-exit\">Organizational exit<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-bleach-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a36fa716 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding-top:10px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Get the full picture. Access premium content today.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This resource is a brief overview of state employment law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Dig deeper with in-depth coverage of state and local employment laws in our Employment Law Guide with a FREE trial of the HR &amp; Compliance Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/hrcenter.us.brightmine.com\/freetrial-login\/?intcmp=hrcc-resources|premium-resources|button|hrcenterus-freetrial|start-your-free-trial\" style=\"border-radius:25px\">Take a free trial<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"#top\">Go back to the top<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-efae2095 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You may also be interested in&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n<section id=\"resources-search-filter\" class=\"wp-elements-0e1c2247d0a75689257f98ddbdbec7b5 wp-block-brightmine-resources-filter has-text-color has-primary-gray-color has-background has-primary-white-background-color\">\n\n\n<div class=\"ajax-filter\">\n<div class=\"lnrs-resources-search-filter editor-posts-filtered-types editor-posts-filtered-topics \">\n\t\t<div class=\"search_terms_bottom\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom_left\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"search_terms_result_count\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom_right\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"loader-container\">\n\t\t<span class=\"loader\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-filter-widget__container\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #E9E7E4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employee-privacy\/building-strong-employee-privacy-strategies\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/12\/29114507\/Brightmine-office-worker-working-on-his-laptop-1200x627-1.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">Guides &#8211; How to<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #00728B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employee-privacy\/building-strong-employee-privacy-strategies\/\">Building a strong employee privacy strategy: policies, compliance &amp; risks<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #000000\">Discover how to balance employee monitoring with privacy rights, comply with federal laws, and build transparent HR policies &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #E9E7E4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/disciplinary\/how-to-conduct-a-workplace-investigation\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/01\/13011220\/Brightmine-office-meeting-v5-1200x627-1.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">Guides &#8211; How to<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #00728B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/disciplinary\/how-to-conduct-a-workplace-investigation\/\">How to conduct a legally sound workplace investigation<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #000000\">Understand how to run a proper workplace investigation, including planning, interviewing, and documentation, to confidently address misconduct and &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource\" style=\"background-color: #E9E7E4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/discrimination\/mastering-the-ada-interactive-process-in-just-9-steps\/\"><div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__resource_image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/13031237\/hr-colleagues-discussing-the-ada-interactive-process.webp);\"><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__inner_content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lnrs-resource-hub-widget__category\">Guides &#8211; How to<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"title\" style=\"color: #00728B\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/discrimination\/mastering-the-ada-interactive-process-in-just-9-steps\/\">Mastering the ADA interactive process in just 9 steps<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #000000\">Download our free 9-step guide to the ADA interactive process. Learn how to confidently navigate accommodation requests while &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fcdab8bb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">About the author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-primary-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-052304f72847d668e66922a9ed6eab25 is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7fc3d43a wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:10px;padding-left:10px;flex-basis:100px\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized has-custom-border is-style-rounded\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/03\/12085517\/Brightmine_Favicon_128px.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-681\" style=\"border-radius:25px;object-fit:cover;width:100px;height:100px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:10px;padding-left:10px\">\n<p class=\"\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/meet-our-authors\/#brightmine-editorial-team\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"8003\">The Brightmine Editorial Team<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Our in-house team of HR experts carefully monitors and updates the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/products\/hr-compliance-center\/\">Brightmine HR &amp; Compliance Center<\/a>, the most comprehensive library of employment law and HR resources. This team has an unrivaled wealth of subject matter expertise, with an average of 15 years&#8217; experience. They also bring invaluable, diverse career experiences to the table\u2014the team includes seasoned employment law attorneys, former in-house counsel, SHRM certified professionals and career employment law editors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">In addition to managing the HR &amp; Compliance Center, the Editorial Team supports the content across the Brightmine product portfolio. The Team also supports Marketing Resource Center with breaking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/category\/hr-news\/\">HR news<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/category\/c-and-i\/\">Commentary and Insights<\/a>, and expert review of key compliance resources, such as our free charts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Follow Brightmine on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/brightmine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-bbb7e64f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">Start your free trial today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">Register today to gain free 7-day access to the Brightmine HR &amp; Compliance Center and stay up to date, compliant and save valuable time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-primary-white-color has-secondary-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/hrcenter.us.brightmine.com\/freetrial-login\/?loggedInUrl=%2Ffreetrial%2Fnew-user%2F&amp;registrationUrl=%2Ffreetrial%2Fnew-user%2F&amp;intcmp=hrcc-resources|cta-2-col|light|banner|hrcenterus-freetrial|take-a-free-trial\" style=\"border-radius:26px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Take a free trial<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This South Dakota employment law overview reviews requirements employers should know if they have employees working in the state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":6836,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"wp-custom-template-updateable-resources","categories":[13],"tags":[],"topic":[25,77],"class_list":["post-6803","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides-how-to","topic-hr-compliance","topic-state-compliance"],"_lnrs_read_more":"","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>South Dakota employment law overview | Brightmine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"South Dakota employment law overview | This guide provides an overview of key South Dakota employment laws employers should know.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Dakota employment law overview | Brightmine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Dakota employment law overview | This guide provides an overview of key South Dakota employment laws employers should know.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Brightmine US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T14:41:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WeAreBrightmine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Natasha Wiebusch\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/c88a18a68118e6e638a95055d1ee8c29\"},\"headline\":\"South Dakota employment law overview\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-07-21T01:57:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-06T14:41:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/\"},\"wordCount\":901,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Guides - How to\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/\",\"name\":\"South Dakota employment law overview | Brightmine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-07-21T01:57:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-06T14:41:50+00:00\",\"description\":\"South Dakota employment law overview | This guide provides an overview of key South Dakota employment laws employers should know.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":627,\"caption\":\"A woman reading a Brightmine state overview resource on her laptop.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"HR compliance\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"South Dakota employment law overview\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/\",\"name\":\"Brightmine\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Brightmine\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/07042311\/Brightmine-logo_Full-color_Primary.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/07042311\/Brightmine-logo_Full-color_Primary.webp\",\"width\":1941,\"height\":508,\"caption\":\"Brightmine\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/WeAreBrightmine\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/brightmine\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@WeAreBrightmine\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/c88a18a68118e6e638a95055d1ee8c29\",\"name\":\"Natasha Wiebusch\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4496670e60e24d3812a9cd8e0bcd5fb86ea55e6ebfa3552a03de4b477976e2dd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4496670e60e24d3812a9cd8e0bcd5fb86ea55e6ebfa3552a03de4b477976e2dd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Natasha Wiebusch\"},\"description\":\"Natasha K. A. Wiebusch is the marketing content manager at Brightmine. Before transitioning to the marketing team, she covered a variety of topics as a Brightmine legal editor, including benefits, compensation, workplace flexibility, and the future of work. Natasha holds a Bachelor of Science in communication science and rhetorical studies from the University of Wisconsin \u2013 Madison and a juris doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Prior to joining Brightmine, Natasha was a practicing attorney and HR compliance and training specialist.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/natasha-ka-wiebusch\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/author\/natasha-wiebusch\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"South Dakota employment law overview | Brightmine","description":"South Dakota employment law overview | This guide provides an overview of key South Dakota employment laws employers should know.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"South Dakota employment law overview | Brightmine","og_description":"South Dakota employment law overview | This guide provides an overview of key South Dakota employment laws employers should know.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/","og_site_name":"Brightmine US","article_modified_time":"2026-01-06T14:41:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":627,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@WeAreBrightmine","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"17 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/"},"author":{"name":"Natasha Wiebusch","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/c88a18a68118e6e638a95055d1ee8c29"},"headline":"South Dakota employment law overview","datePublished":"2012-07-21T01:57:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-06T14:41:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/"},"wordCount":901,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp","articleSection":["Guides - How to"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/","url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/","name":"South Dakota employment law overview | Brightmine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp","datePublished":"2012-07-21T01:57:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-06T14:41:50+00:00","description":"South Dakota employment law overview | This guide provides an overview of key South Dakota employment laws employers should know.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/10\/09082314\/state-law-overview-feature-image.webp","width":1200,"height":627,"caption":"A woman reading a Brightmine state overview resource on her laptop."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/south-dakota-employment-law\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"HR compliance","item":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"South Dakota employment law overview"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/","name":"Brightmine","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#organization","name":"Brightmine","url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/07042311\/Brightmine-logo_Full-color_Primary.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/07042311\/Brightmine-logo_Full-color_Primary.webp","width":1941,"height":508,"caption":"Brightmine"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/WeAreBrightmine","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/brightmine\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@WeAreBrightmine"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/c88a18a68118e6e638a95055d1ee8c29","name":"Natasha Wiebusch","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4496670e60e24d3812a9cd8e0bcd5fb86ea55e6ebfa3552a03de4b477976e2dd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4496670e60e24d3812a9cd8e0bcd5fb86ea55e6ebfa3552a03de4b477976e2dd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Natasha Wiebusch"},"description":"Natasha K. A. Wiebusch is the marketing content manager at Brightmine. Before transitioning to the marketing team, she covered a variety of topics as a Brightmine legal editor, including benefits, compensation, workplace flexibility, and the future of work. Natasha holds a Bachelor of Science in communication science and rhetorical studies from the University of Wisconsin \u2013 Madison and a juris doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Prior to joining Brightmine, Natasha was a practicing attorney and HR compliance and training specialist.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/natasha-ka-wiebusch\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/author\/natasha-wiebusch\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/6803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resources"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6803"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=6803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}