Interns, summer workers eligible for special employee work injury insurance

Interns and university students taking up summer jobs can be covered under a special employee work injury insurance designed for specific groups in Shenzhen, according to the Shenzhen Municipal Insurance Fund Management Bureau.

The bureau explained that full-time undergraduate and graduate students are still classified as enrolled students rather than employees. Since internship or summer work periods do not establish a formal labor relationship between students and employers, these students are not the typical participants of the general social insurance programs.

However, to further protect the rights of these specific groups, Guangdong Province regulations allow employers to purchase special employee work injury insurance for interns and summer workers. This coverage ensures that students who suffer work-related injuries during their internships can receive work injury insurance benefits. General social insurance participation is required only after graduation upon formal employment, while during internships or summer jobs, students may be insured under this special work injury insurance plan.

Interns do not need to apply themselves. Employers can complete the registration for work injury insurance participation through the Shenzhen Social Insurance Fund Management Bureau’s official online service platform https://sipub.sz.gov.cn/hsoms, or visit the nearest social insurance service office.

Importantly, registering for the special employee work injury insurance does not affect a student’s fresh graduate status. If an internship employer mistakenly registers a student as a regular employee and pays social insurance contributions on their behalf, both the employer and the student can submit a formal request for refund to the tax authorities. This requires submission of documentation such as proof of current enrollment, personal identification, and the internship agreement.