Safeguarding lawful and legitimate rights of Vietnamese employees at foreign organizations

Service Department for Diplomatic Corps has proactively coordinated with the social insurance authority to organize consultation and support activities for Vietnamese employees working at foreign agencies and organizations. (Photo: Xuan Son)

The seminar was attended by Director General of SDDC Corps Ngo Phuong Nghi; Deputy Director of Regional Social Insurance I Nguyen Cong Dinh; representatives of diplomatic missions, consular offices, international organizations, and foreign offices in Hanoi, along with more than 200 Vietnamese employees currently working at international agencies and organizations.

Director General of Service Department for Diplomatic Corps Ngo Phuong Nghi delivers the opening remarks. (Photo: Xuan Son)

In his opening remarks, Mr. Ngo Phuong Nghi emphasized that alongside Vietnam’s process of international integration, an increasingly diverse and internationalized working environment has been created, enabling thousands of Vietnamese employees to serve as bridges of friendship and contribute to promoting the image of a friendly, integrated, and developing Vietnam. According to statistics, nearly 5,500 Vietnamese employees are currently working at foreign agencies and organizations in Hanoi.

This is a distinct workforce that regularly operates in an international environment and plays an active supporting role in the activities of foreign representative offices in Vietnam. However, they also face numerous difficulties in accessing and benefiting from social insurance policies due to differences in mechanisms, policies, interpretations and application of the law.

In response to this reality, Service Department for Diplomatic Corps has proactively coordinated with the social insurance authority to organize consultation and support activities for Vietnamese employees working at foreign agencies and organizations. “The cooperative relationship between the Department and Regional Social Insurance I goes beyond technical coordination and has become a substantive partnership aimed at a shared goal of safeguarding lawful and legitimate rights of employees”, Mr. Ngo Phuong Nghi affirmed.

Ms. Duong Thi Minh Chau, Head of Communications Division of Regional Social Insurance I, introduces key new points of the Law on Social Insurance No. 41/2024/QH15 and the Law on Health Insurance No. 51/2024/QH15. (Photo: Xuan Son)

At the seminar, Ms. Duong Thi Minh Chau, Head of the Communications Division of Regional Social Insurance I, presented key new features of the Law on Social Insurance No. 41/2024/QH15 and the Law on Health Insurance No. 51/2024/QH15, which will take effect from 2025.

One notable highlight is the development of a more multi-tiered and flexible social insurance system, allowing employees to have more options suited to different conditions and circumstances. In particular, the new law expands the scope of mandatory social insurance coverage to include unpaid enterprise managers, part-time workers, employees under new forms of labor contracts, and members of the standing militia.

Representatives of Regional Social Insurance I and Service Department for Diplomatic Corps directly addressed and resolved specific cases, helping employees gain greater reassurance and a more comprehensive understanding. (Photo: Xuan Son)

For foreign employees working in Vietnam, the law also clearly stipulates mandatory social insurance participation for those who sign labour contracts of 12 months or longer with employers in Vietnam. However, three groups are exempted: intra-corporate transferees, those who have reached retirement age, and cases stipulated in international treaties to which Vietnam is a party.

The new law also clearly provides for the linkage between social insurance and social assistance, ensuring that no one is left behind. Employees who reach retirement age but do not meet the conditions for a pension may opt to receive a monthly allowance (at least equal to the level of social pension allowance) and are also entitled to health insurance covered by the state budget. If conditions are met, their relatives may also receive funeral benefits.

A key highlight of the seminar was the lively discussion session, during which many employees shared difficulties encountered in the process of participating in and benefiting from social insurance, such as complex administrative procedures, inconsistencies in policy guidance among units, and uncertainty regarding the application of new provisions in the 2024 law.

Representatives of Regional Social Insurance I and SDDC directly addressed and resolved individual cases, contributing to greater reassurance and a fuller understanding for employees. The seminar was not only an activity to provide legal and policy information, but also an important bridge between management agencies and employees, fostering consensus and mutual understanding among all stakeholders.

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