The insurance premium rate will be higher if there are many industrial accidents borne by the company, but the burden will increase for companies that have suffered a series of industrial accidents due to the infection of the new coronavirus, and there are concerns about the impact.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has a policy of proposing to the council to be held on the 26th a bill to revise the ministerial ordinance that cases where employees are infected and are recognized as industrial accidents are not included in the calculation of insurance premium rates.
Workers' accident compensation insurance provides medical treatment costs and leave compensation when an employee is injured or sick at work, and the company bears the insurance premium.
In order to expand efforts to prevent occupational accidents, a system has been established in which companies with few occupational accidents are reduced by up to 40%, while companies with many occupational accidents are increased by up to 40% based on the insurance premium rate set for each industry.
However, by the end of last month, about 16,000 people had been infected with the new coronavirus in the workplace and were recognized as having an industrial accident, and companies with a series of industrial accidents are worried about the impact because the burden of insurance premiums will increase.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to review the system because it is difficult to prevent infection even if thorough measures are taken.
The insurance premium rate for the next fiscal year will be calculated based on the amount of work-related accidents for the three years up to last year, but it does not include cases where employees are infected at work and are recognized as work-related accidents.
The policy is to propose to the council, which will be held on the 26th, a draft amendment to the relevant ministerial ordinance, which we would like to do in the same way from the next fiscal year onward.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare wants to revise the ministerial ordinance soon with the approval of the council.