Govt compensating private sector workers laid off during pandemic
Employees who are members of their business’s social insurance scheme are eligible to receive financial assistance for temporary unemployment or loss of workdays during the COVID-19 lockdown.
However, only members of business-related social insurance schemes will be able to receive compensation from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The policy does not cover people who are members of the state social insurance organisation because the government pays them a monthly salary.
Affected businesses forced to close during the COVID-19 outbreak measures such as hotels, restaurants, and tour companies, along with factories that stopped work, can request financial assistance for temporarily unemployed staff from the NSSF under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
An NSSF official, who wished to remain anonymous, told Vientiane Times by telephone on Wednesday that many workplaces introduced staff rotation policies to reduce the number of people in offices and factories, meaning employees worked one day on and then one day off.
Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
