The worst mistake people make is staying quiet because a supervisor hints they will lose hours, get replaced, or be "reported."

Yes - in South Carolina, you can still pursue a workers' compensation claim even if you are undocumented. Workers' comp is tied to a work injury, not your immigration status. If you were hurt in a Greenville plant, warehouse, farm, or on a delivery route, your employer does not get to erase the injury by threatening you.

Now ask the next question that matters: what should you do before your employer controls the story?

In South Carolina, you should report the injury to your employer within 90 days. Do it in writing if possible: text, email, incident report, or a note that says when, where, and how you got hurt. Keep a copy.

Your employer usually has the right to choose the authorized doctor for workers' comp treatment. If they send you somewhere, save every work note and restriction. If they refuse to report it or tell you to use your own insurance, that is a red flag.

If your claim is denied or ignored, you can file a Form 50 with the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission. The usual deadline is 2 years from the date of injury.

South Carolina law also bars an employer from firing a worker for instituting or causing to be instituted a workers' comp proceeding under S.C. Code § 41-1-80. Retaliation can include sudden write-ups, cut hours, forced resignation pressure, or fake "light duty" games designed to make you quit.

Save these right away:

• the clothes or gloves you were wearing
• photos of the machine, floor, chemicals, or truck
• coworker names
• every text with your supervisor
• pay stubs showing lost hours

If you needed emergency care in the Upstate, records from places like Prisma Health Greenville Memorial can also help pin down timing and severity.