S.C. Code Ann. § 8-1-170

State agencies are authorized to develop group productivity incentive programs for the recognition and award of team accomplishments through group performance. Employees of any organizational unit within each of the various agencies are eligible to share equally twenty-five percent of the identified savings resulting from reduced operational costs in the unit up to a maximum of two thousand dollars per employee in a fiscal year. The agency shall adopt policies and procedures to determine unit expenses or base data and for the year of participation in the group productivity incentive program. Records of proposals, actual dollar savings, and employee awards will be reported to the Department of Administration or its designee. Any bonus or cash award paid as a group productivity incentive shall not become a part of the employee's base salary and shall not be considered as compensation in terms of contributions to and determination of benefits for any of the state's retirement systems.