Official letter No. 264/QHLDTL-TL dated July 15th, 2021 of the Ministry of Labor – Invalids and Social Affairs regarding payment of suspension salary for employees during suspension period in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic

Relating to suspension salary, the Ministry of Labor – Invalids and Social Affairs notes that for employees that have to suspend their work because of direct impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the enterprises have to pay suspension salary to such employees according to Clause 3 Article 99 of the Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14 .

Accordingly, suspension salary paid for the first 14 suspension days must not fall below the statutory minimum wages. Particularly, suspension salary paid for the period after the first 14 suspension days shall be carried out as agreed upon by the parties.

Cases of suspension due to direct impact of the Covid-19 pandemic includes:

(i) employees have to suspend during the period they are subject to medial quarantine;

(ii) employees have to suspend because their workplaces or residential places are put under lockdown;

(iii) employees have to suspend because their enterprises or divisions thereof have to suspend operation for the purpose of Covid-19 prevention and control;

(iv) employees have to suspend because their enterprises or divisions thereof cannot operate due to the employer or other employees in the same enterprise, divisions of such enterprise are being put into quarantine or have not yet returned the enterprise to work.