SSS and ECC: Providing protection to the ordinary Filipino worker

Fortunately, employees affected by the dreaded coronavirus disease can now qualify for EC benefits. In an online article published on February 27, 2020 by the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), employees infected by the virus can now file for EC benefit.

While businesses and companies are starting to open and the lockdown guidelines are easing up, employees are now coming out of their homes to report back to work. This exposes the members of the work force to various dangerous factors such as inhaling polluted air, road accidents, and most especially, contracting the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). When an employee meets an accident, this involves physical, emotional, and psychological trauma, as well as financial burden. let’s face it: people who had an accident know the expense the incident entails.

With that in mind, an employee can file for an Employee Compensation (EC) Benefit on work-related cases aside from the usual Social Security Benefits that they can get from the Social Security System (SSS)— provided that the different criteria for entitlement to the benefit as set by both agencies are met.

Fortunately, employees affected by the dreaded coronavirus disease can now qualify for EC benefits. In an online article published on February 27, 2020 by the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), employees infected by the virus can now file for EC benefit. (http://ecc.

gov.ph/ecc-reminds-employees-to-bemore-cautious-of-covid-19-apply-ecbenefits-if-applicable).

What is the ECC? The Employees’ Compensation Commission is the agency attached to the Department of Labor and Employment that is mandated to implement the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP). It provides benefit packages for employees in the public and private sectors and their dependents in the event of work-related contingencies like sickness, injury, disability, or death. Also, the SSS is the agency that facilitates and implements the EC Benefits for workers in the private sector.

Under the program, the employer is given five days upon receipt of the incident report involving a particular employee to record it in the company logbook. The details should include chronologically the sickness, injury, or death of the employee, along with the name, date, place of contingency, and absences. Entries in the logbook must be made within five days from notice of the incident. Within five days after entry in the logbook, the employer must report to the SSS those contingencies it deems to be work-connected. The affected employee is given three years from date of work-related sickness, injury or the legal beneficiary of the deceased member to file the EC claim. However, no compensation will be given if the injury, sickness, disability, or death of the member was caused by drunkenness, willful intention to injure or kill himself/herself or another person, or due to notorious negligence.

EC Benefit claims may be filed at any SSS Branch or Representative Office nearest the employee-member’s residence or place of work. Once the filed EC claim is granted by the SSS, the EC Benefit payment shall be remitted by the SSS to the employeemember’s designated bank account under the Sickness and Maternity Benefits Payment thru-the-bank Program. For employees with workrelated disability separated from employment, the EC benefit will be paid directly by the SSS to the PWRD/ claimant through his/her single savings/current/cash card/prepaid account in any of the accredited banks under the SMB-PB.

An EC contribution ranges from P10-P30 per month, which is solely paid for by an employer. Even with only one contribution, any employee or his designated beneficiary can avail himself/herself of this benefit.

Accidents, illnesses, and deaths are unfortunate incidents that nobody wants to experience. But in times like these, it is positively reassuring that the SSS and ECC are every worker’s kabalikat by providing financial relief during these difficult and trying times.

Aurora C. Ignacio is SSS president and chief executive officer.

We welcome your questions and insights on the topics that we discuss. E-mail mediaaffairs@sss.gov.ph for topics that you might want us to discuss.