Nguyen Van Thuy in Phu Linh commune, Soc Son district, Hanoi receives insurance benefits for his labor accident

The settlement of work accidents and occupational disease benefits for workers is always conducted by social insurance agencies in a complete, timely and lawful manner for the right persons. According to statistics, the Vietnamese social security sector settled new monthly and one-time occupational accident and occupational disease benefits for over 8,100 workers in 2022 and nearly 1,700 workers in the first three months of 2023. In addition to paying benefits for workers suffering from occupational accidents and occupational diseases, the annual occupational accident and occupational disease insurance fund also spends its revenue to support activities and hedges against occupational accidents and occupational diseases and support career changes for workers with occupational accidents and occupational diseases. In 2022, the total amount of money spent on prevention, risk sharing, and career change support was more than VND1.4 billion, up 30% against 2021. In the first 3 months of 2023, this amount was VND269 million.

As two beneficiaries of occupational accident and occupational disease insurance, Nguyen Thi Tin (Thanh Luong ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi) and Nguyen Van Thuy (Phu Linh commune, Soc Son district, Hanoi) more deeply understand the meaning and benefits of this policy. Tin was working for Hanoi Urban Environment Co., Ltd. On the night of December 15, 2021, while pushing a garbage truck to a collection point, she was hit by a pickup truck. The mishap left her with a traumatic brain injury. She said, “My company also allowed me to have two months off for treatment and recovery. However, after I went back to work for five days, I fainted and was transferred to the emergency room at Thanh Nhan Hospital. After 10 days of treatment, I applied for leave because my health was not good enough.”

With an injury level of 31%, she was entitled to a monthly occupational accident and disease insurance allowance equaling 30% of the base salary. From 2021 until now, she has received a subsidy of VND447,000 every month. “The amount, despite being small in value, is stable and motivational to me. I feel reassured to overcome the difficult period. As far as I am concerned, from this July, when the base salary is revised up, my allowance will be also higher as a result, to VND540,000,” she happily said.

Thuy is a factory worker for a ceramic tile company. In June 2022, he had a labor accident (his knuckles got smashed) while he was calibrating the belt of a brick-supporting conveyor belt. He was treated at Soc Son Hospital and medically assessed to determine the injury rate. His muscle damage was 6%. Given an injury rate of below 31%, he was paid a one-time benefit by the occupational accident and disease insurance fund. “At that time, I was paid an amount of VND44 million by the social security agency, equivalent to 4-5 months of my salary. This money was very useful for me and my family during my medical treatment which lasted more than a month. I feel very lucky to have a social insurance policy,” he said.

No one expects an occupational accident or occupational disease, risks at work are unpredictable. A work accident or occupational disease changes the health and life of many workers. Each worker is the breadwinner of their family. If unfortunately suffering an occupational accident or occupational disease and having to leave work, most workers have no income to cover their lives and become a financial "burden" on their families. Therefore, to share burdens and prevent risks for businesses, especially workers and their families against occupational accident and occupational disease risks, the occupational accident and occupational disease insurance fund is increasingly promoting its important role in preventing occupational accidents and diseases to ensure partial compensation or replacement for their income when their income is reduced or lost due to a work accident and occupational disease.

Bui Thi Kim Loan, Deputy Director of the Social Insurance Policy Implementation Department under the Vietnam Social Security (VSS), said, according to current Law on Occupational Safety and Health, workers subject to compulsory social insurance are all entitled to occupational accident and occupational disease insurance. If an employer does not buy the social insurance for its employees, it must pay monthly or one-time allowance for its employees unfortunately suffering from an occupational accident or occupational disease rather than the social security agency.

Occupational accident and occupational disease insurance is one of the fundamental rights of employees. Therefore, when entering into their employment contracts, they must be sure that their employer will be fully responsible for paying their social insurance which will protect their own legitimate rights and interests at work,” she recommended.