How should an employer handle the sudden death of an employee?

Click the link below to view the HR730 Monthly Newsletter, December 2021 issue! 1. Notify relevant individuals and institutions: (1) Notify the hospital to administer emergency medical care, making every effort to save the employee’s life, while simultaneously confirming the medical cause of the incident. (2) Notify the employee’s immediate family members—typically parents, spouse, or children. (3) Notify public security authorities to conduct an on-site investigation to determine whether the incident falls within the scope of a criminal case. (4) Report the incident to the social insurance administrative department and prepare relevant documentation for future benefit claims. If the company has purchased commercial insurance, notify the commercial insurer to conduct an on-site inspection for subsequent insurance claim processing. 2. Determine liability for compensation: Determine whether the employee’s death was work-related (occupational) or non-work-related. Assess eligibility for work-related death recognition according to Articles 14 and 15 of the Regulations on Work-Related Injury Insurance. Article 14: An employee shall be recognized as having sustained a work-related injury under any of the following circumstances: (i) Sustaining an accident injury at the workplace during working hours due to work-related reasons; (ii) Sustaining an accident injury at the workplace before or after working hours while engaging in preparatory or concluding tasks related to work; (iii) Sustaining violence or other accidental injuries at the workplace during working hours while performing job duties; (iv) Contracting an occupational disease; (v) Sustaining injury or going missing due to work-related reasons while on official business away from the workplace; (vi) Sustaining injury from a traffic accident, urban rail transit incident, passenger ferry accident, or train accident during commuting, where the employee bears no primary responsibility; (vii) Other circumstances stipulated by laws or administrative regulations as constituting work-related injury. Article 15: The following circumstances shall be deemed equivalent to work-related injury: (i) Sudden illness leading to death at the workplace during working hours, or death within 48 hours after unsuccessful resuscitation; (ii) Injury sustained while participating in rescue operations or activities safeguarding national or public interests.

An employee dies suddenly while working at a factory; how should the employer compensate the family?

First, ascertain the cause of death: — If death results from a sudden illness, it qualifies as a work-related injury (work-related death); — If death results from an acute work-related accident, it qualifies as a work-related injury (work-related death); — If death is unrelated to work and not caused by illness, it does not qualify as a work-related injury (work-related death). If it qualifies as a work-related injury (work-related death), compensation includes: death benefit, funeral allowance, and dependent’s pension—totaling no less than RMB 800,000.

Employee Dies Following Incident at Westlake Corporation in Plaquemine

6 days ago

A 31-year-old Westlake Corporation employee died following a medical emergency at its Plaquemine plant, with an autopsy pending. The incident follows a previous chlorine gas exposure event at the facility in February 2025.

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