Employers the world over are facing unprecedented issues brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vietnam employers are no different. They need to be able to both respond rapidly and decisively to actual facts and formal and information government direction as it arises and simultaneously comply with legal obligations set out in law and statute. What trumps what?

An earlier blog post addressed specific remuneration issues under Vietnam law (see: here). That is a topic that will be further addressed as this crisis continues to unfold globally. This post covers some additional ad-hoc issues that we have seen come up for employers in Vietnam.

As ever, these topics are subject to change, potentially very suddenly, but we've attempted to set out the current position in law and practice. Please get in touch for more information.

Topic 1: Right to disclose an employee's COVID-19 status to other colleagues

Strictly speaking, this information is deemed by law to be 'confidential medical information' of the employee, meaning that an employer is NOT permitted to disclose the fact of an employee's sickness to others in the absence of the relevant employee's express consent. An employer could disclose generally that an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 without identifying the specific individual affected.

On the other hand, taking into account the wider public health imperative and the positive obligation of all infected individuals to isolate and identify individual contacts for checks (Art. 3.2.1 of Guidance on medical quarantine in term of Covid-19, under Ministry of Health's Decision No. 904/QĐ-BYT dated 16 March 2020) plus the positive obligation on employers to disclose the positive case (noting that failure to disclose the positive case of disease is strictly prohibited under Article 8.3 of The Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) it can reasonably be concluded that, even without express consent, employers must provide other employees and the authorities with identifying information of affected employees that they have knowledge of in order to meet wider obligations.

In other words, this is one area where it seems likely that wider public health concerns and obligations trump individual personal privacy regulations. Having said that, employers are advised to proceed in a way so as to limit, to the extent possible, the scope of privacy breaches. The practical ability to do this will vary from case to case but may includes: (i) making at least a reasonable effort to obtain prior express consent from affected employees; and (ii) disclosing the information to as small a circle of people as reasonably possible in order to address public health obligations; and (iii) ensuring that language used is as neutral as possible and does not stigmatize the individual or overly-dramatize the situation.

On the first point, employers would be well-advised to pro-actively prepare specific consent forms that can be rolled out at short notice in a bid to obtain express consent on an as-needed basis.

Topic 2: Right to require employees to work from home

Theoretically speaking, any change to an employee's workplace as recorded in their labor contract must comply with the terms of the relevant contract or be subject to express prior consent of the employee concerned. Despite this, in the current situation, we are of the view that employers are able to require employees to work from home regardless of the foregoing, should the employer determine that such change of location is necessary to protect health and/or to comply with orders or requests of competent authorities.

In doing so, the employer would be entitled to expect the employee to continue to discharge regular duties and working hours. Reality does however dictate that this may be difficult in practice for the employer to control and/or the employee to achieve. The employee would have a reasonably expectation of being provided necessary means to discharge duties (such as computer).

We are also of the view that employers could mandate this on the basis of implementing plans under the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases. Again, it would be important that the plan be properly prepared and informed to employees.

It remains arguable what rights employees may have to insist on working from home where the employer reasonably considers it unnecessary for public health purposes and in the absence of any positive requirement from authorities to order work-from-home arrangements where possible.

Topic 3: Right to screen employees' and visitors' temperatures

The Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007 generally recognizes enterprises' rights to prepare and implement plans to prevent and control infectious diseases on a case-to-case basis.

In our view, this would provide a basis for employers to insist on temperature screening for employees and visitors entering the workplace. In fact, this is widely accepted practice by most, if not all, State authorities and State-owned enterprises in Vietnam and many private businesses as well.

It would however always be preferable to have an actual written policy that outlines the reason by reference to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and procedures to implement including how to act in the case of temperatures considered to be high.

Topic 4: Right to report in case of employee's abnormal symptoms

In principle, an employee is obliged to comply with their employer's internal policies on labor safety and hygiene at the workplace. Specifically, one of these obligations is to report any potential risk where dangerous and hazardous factor might appear at workplace (Art. 18, Law on labor safety and hygiene 2015). Concurrently, employers are entitled to be aware of all health-related risks at the workplace and have a responsibility to keep employees and relevant authorities updated on same (Art.23.4, Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007).

Therefore, it is allowable for employers to report to competent authorities and/or to update its internal management personnel in case an employee has abnormal symptoms, including without limitation to the employee's temperature which is abnormal.

Topic 5: Right to collect employees' personal travel information and obligation to declare same to authorities

Vietnamese law is silent on this topic. As a matter of practice, those who have recently visited/ passed through territories considered as pandemic regions (e.g., the US, European countries, China, Iran, etc.) and those suspected of suffering from Corona virus are required by the government to undergo a compulsory 14-day centralized quarantine. In addition, individuals who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 (known as 'F0' individuals) are also subject to such mandatory centralized isolation/ self-isolation, depending whether they are determined as F1, F2, F3, F4 or F5 individuals respectively.

Following this, it is reasonable to conclude that employers are entitled to seek and be made aware of such information with a view to best protecting all their employees and reporting same to the competent authorities where necessary.

For more information, please contact Giles at GTCooper@duanemorris.com or Le Nhan at NTLe@duanemorris.com or any of the lawyers in our office listing. Giles is co-General Director of Duane Morris Vietnam LLC and branch director of Duane Morris' HCMC office.

Disclaimer: This Alert has been prepared and published for informational purposes only and is not offered, nor should be construed, as legal advice. For more information, please see the firm's full disclaimer.