Social security organisation offers financial relief to staff laid off during pandemic

Employers can register with the Lao Social Security Organisation (LSS) to request financial assistance for temporarily unemployed staff or those who lost workdays due to social distancing measures during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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.

According to the LSS, employers must submit the necessary documentation for financial support; employees cannot directly request assistance.
Employers need to compile a list of insured employees for the LSS with their details confirmed by the relevant association and state agencies to verify employees have temporarily been unemployed or deprived of their full roster of workdays.
The financial support for employees covers their temporary absence from May 1-18. If business operators such as hotels, restaurants, tour companies and factories temporarily stop work again, they can reapply to the LSS.
“But don’t submit employees who have had insurance for less than one year because they won’t get this subsidy,” an LSS source told Vientiane Times, adding that the LSS would provide financial support of 60 percent of the insured employee’s salary to reduce the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
Furthermore, the subsidy will only be paid to employees who have lost work temporarily because of COVID-19, not for workers who have resigned.
LSS will crosscheck the details of each employee’s claim. If it corresponds with the organisation’s data, the money will be transferred directly to the employee’s bank account.
Laos confirmed its first coronavirus case at the end of March, and the government asked people to work from home. According to Prime Ministerial order No. 06, dated March 29, the government initially directed the public to stay at home from April 1-19 to contain the spread of the deadly virus and to remain safe.
A 14-day extension was announced in April, and the government extended the lockdown for a third time from May 3-17, and then again from May 17 to June 1.
While Laos has not recorded any new COVID-19 infections for just on two months, health authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant.

By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
(Latest Update June 17, 2020)