What you need to know about social insurance
[Photo/VCG]
1. When should an employer arrange social insurance for an employee after they start working?
According to Article 58 of the Social Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China, employers must register their employees for social insurance with the relevant social insurance agency within 30 days of the employer’s start date.
2. How is the social insurance for urban employees in Shanghai paid? What are the contribution rates?
Social insurance contributions for employees should be paid by both the employer and the employee according to the prescribed contribution rates. The employee's portion is then deducted and paid by the employer on their behalf. The specific contribution rates are shown in the table below.
Contribution Rates for Urban Employees' Social Insurance in Shanghai:
| Insurance Type | Contribution Rate | Enterprise | Self-employed with Employees | Flexible Workers |
| Pension | Employer | 16% | 16% | 20% |
| Employee | 8% | 8% | ||
| Medical | Employer | 9% | 9% | 10% |
| Employee | 2% | 2% | ||
| Unemployment | Employer | 0.5% | 0.5% | - |
| Employee | 0.5% | 0.5% | ||
| Work Injury | Employer | Determined by industry category and floating rate | - | |
3. If an employee starts work after the 20th of the month, is the employer still obligated to pay social insurance for that month?
Yes, they do. Article 60 of the Social Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China states that an employer must declare and pay social insurance contributions in full and on time. They may not defer, reduce, or waive payments without statutory reasons such as force majeure. Even if an employee does not work the entire month, they still need to be insured. However, if an employee works for two different employers within the same month, the first employer is responsible for arranging the social insurance.
4. After graduating from university, what requirements must be met to register for social insurance if you choose flexible employment instead of joining a company? What are the types and contribution rates for social insurance applicable to flexible workers?
Requirements: Starting from May 2023, Shanghai has eased residency requirements for flexible workers to enroll in social insurance. Eligible participants include self-employed individuals, self-employed business owners without employees, part-time workers not covered by basic pension insurance or basic medical insurance through an employer, and other flexible workers aged 16 and above (men under 60, women under 55).
Insurance types: Flexible workers can participate in basic pension insurance and basic medical insurance.
Contribution base: Flexible workers can select a contribution base ranging from 60 percent and 300 percent of the previous year's average monthly salary for urban employees in Shanghai from. The contribution rates are determined according to the current regulations .
5. How can you check your social insurance payments status online?
Individuals can log in to the Suishenban Citizen Cloud (随申办市民云) app, enter the homepage and search for the "urban employee basic pension insurance payment status" (参保人员城镇职工基本养老保险缴费情况) to check their social insurance payments records.
6. If someone relocates to a different city after a few years, can their pension insurance be transferred?
Yes, pension insurance can be transferred through two methods:
Online: Apply for the transfer of pension insurance through the National Social Insurance Public Service Platform (http://si.12333.gov.cn) or the "12333” app.
Offline: Apply for the transfer at the local social security office in the new city.
Source: Wechat account of "shrsjwx"