WORKERS who suffer adverse side effects from being inoculated with Covid-19 vaccine may now file claims with the employees’ compensation body.
Disability, serious adverse effects or even death caused by “authorized” Covid-19 vaccine is now compensable, according to Board Resolution No. 21-03-08 of the Employee’s Compensation Commission (ECC).
The compensation may be in the form of loss of income benefits, medical benefits, death and funeral benefits, and rehabilitation services, per the resolution dated March 11, 2021.
The benefit will be released once the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) determine such adverse effects are related to the Covid-19 jabs use.
ECC’s Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said they made the decision in consideration of the impact of such side effect on workplace operations.
“Although the vaccination program is outside the regular duties of the employees, the ECC recognizes that it is within the course of employment as it will bring mutual benefits between employers and employees through the prevention of infection among workers,” Banawis said.
“It will also protect employers against consequences due to down time loss because of absences of infected employees,” she added.
The mass vaccination of economic frontliners is expected to start next month with the arrivals of millions of additional vaccines.
In a related development, Banawis told BusinessMirror in an SMS that the Implementing Rules and Regulation of the one-time P20,000 financial assistance for their pensioners is expected to be out this month,
She said the IRR for the public sector is expected to be published this week, while that for the private sector is for next weekend.
“The GSIS is just waiting for the publication. They are ready to process [the one-time cash aid] this week,” Banawis said.
President Duterte earlier signed Administrative Order No. 39 authorizing ECC to extend the cash aid to the said pensioners, who were affected by the pandemic.
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