All what to know about benefits for employees quarantined due to Covid-19

In the context of the increasing number of infected and suspected cases, Vietnam has reported thousands of employees are quarantined due to suspected infection with corona virus. With a view to protecting them, what are benefits that they are granted if they are quarantined?

1. They are allowed to take paid leave due to quarantine

This is an issue that has recently attracted a lot of attention. If you are quarantined due to this infectious disease, don't worry that you will receive wages or salaries as usual.

According to provisions laid down in clause 1 of Article 98 in the 2012 Labor Code, in case where objective causes such as natural disasters, conflagration, fatal diseases or hostility (through no fault of an employee) are defined, such employee will be paid wages or salaries when on leave.

Rate of wage and salary paid to an employee on leave will be agreed upon between that employee and the payer provided that such rate is not less than the region-specific minimum pay rate specified by the Government.

2. They are entitled to exemption from payment of healthcare costs

This is the regulation laid down in clause 1 of Article 2 in the Circular No. 32/2012/TT-BTC, stating that persons subject to medical quarantine will be exempted from paying medical costs prescribed in existing regulations on prices of healthcare services.

3. They are entitled to social insurance benefits if they are sick due to any disease

As clearly stated in the Official Dispatch No. 422/BHXH-CSXH, if those persons quarantined due to suspected infection with Covid-19 are not eventually infected with the disease, they will be entitled to sickness benefits during their quarantine period. The reason is that they have to stop work for epidemic prevention and control purposes, affecting their social insurance rights.

4. They are entitled to financial support for their payments or costs of supplies arising due to this disease

These financial support amounts have been detailed in Article 2 in the Circular No. 32/2012/TT-BTC with the following specific regulations:

- Persons quarantined at home will not be entitled to such support.

- Persons quarantined at healthcare establishments, bordergates and other locations will be entitled to the following support measures:

+ Free-of-charge drinking water, face towels, face masks, hand sanitizer, mouth anti-bacterial solutions, tooth brush, shampoo and body wash and other items necessary for personal demands;

+ On-demand meals that healthcare establishments controlling quarantine are able to provide. Meal costs will be paid at the expense of quarantined persons. If quarantined persons are poor, they will be paid 40,000 dong each day.

+ Free-of-charge transport of quarantined persons from their home or other health establishments or locations where they stay to healthcare establishments providing quarantine, or from a health establishment providing quarantine to the other;

+ If a quarantined person needs to be tested or treated due to other disease, medical insurance will cover costs of examination and treatment of such disease within the scope of his/her insurance benefits (applicable to cardholders of medical insurance cards);

+ If a quarantined person is dead during the quarantine period, exemption from payment of all costs incurred from corpse or remains preservation, burial and transport will be granted;

+ Quarantined persons will receive certificates of completion of quarantine from healthcare establishments as a basis for their entitlement to insurance benefits (if any).

>>> Reading in Vietnamese: Tất tần tật chế độ cho người lao động bị cách ly vì Covid-19