Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security ("MOHRSS") and the Ministry of Finance ("MOF") have jointly issued the Circular on Issues Concerning Remuneration and Benefits of Staff Members of Public Institutions during the Period of Prevention and Control of the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19) Epidemic (the "Circular").
The Circular reads that in the midst of epidemic prevention and control, all levels of departments of human resources and social security and departments of finance shall determine and offer an additional lump sum of merit pay to medical institutions undertaking heavy tasks of epidemic prevention and control and exposed to relatively high risks, adding that such lump sum will not be counted into the base of gross merit pay. For the purpose of internal distribution, the relevant entity shall distribute more to those frontline staff who work overtime to prevent and control the epidemic, particularly those individuals who have made prominent contributions. Meanwhile, the Circular clearly states that for those staff members of public institutions who are unable to work as usual, as a result of the confirmed COVID-19 infection, the suspected COVID-19 infection, or the close contact with those infected patients, or the quarantine measures or other urgent measures adopted by the government, their remuneration and benefits will be offered as usual by their employers for the duration of the quarantined treatment or the medical observation or such measures.