Vietnam expands unpaid‑leave rules to safeguard social‑insurance rights

Vietnam's 2024 Social Insurance Law now exempts workers who take unpaid leave of 14 days or more from mandatory contributions to the Social Insurance Fund (BHXH) and, consequently, from employer contributions during that period. The exemption does not apply to certain cases, such as sick‑leave benefits in the employee's first month of work or maternity leave, which remain counted as participation even without contributions.

To avoid interruption of health‑insurance (BHYT) coverage, workers and employers may agree to continue paying the previous month's contribution level while the employee is on unpaid leave. If the employer declines, the employee can join a voluntary insurance scheme. Experts advise employees to review the new provisions and negotiate appropriate arrangements to maintain their social‑insurance benefits during extended unpaid periods.