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Employees are entitled to fully paid annual leave after 12 months of service with an employer:

• 12 working days for employees who work in normal working conditions
• 14 working days for minors and persons working in heavy or dangerous jobs
• 16 working days for workers doing extremely heavy or hazardous work

Annual leave increases by 1 day for every 5 years of employment with the same employer. Employees who have worked for less than 12 months are entitled to paid leave proportional to the number of months worked.

In the case of employment termination, job loss, or other reasons, an employee who has not used or not entirely taken their annual leave is entitled to receive compensation for the unused leave days. Employees who work voluntarily during their annual leave are entitled to additional payment to the amount of 200% of their regular income and those who are asked to work by their employers are entitled to 300% of their regular income.

Annual sick leave (with proof from a doctor) is as follows:

• 30 days - if contributions to the social insurance fund were made for less than 15 years
• 40 days - if contributions are between 15 and 30 years
• 60 days - contributions over 30 years
• 180 days for extended treatment
• For those working in heavy or hazardous occupations, the sick leave duration increases by 10 days for every category.

Sick leave is compensated by the Social Insurance Agency. Sickness allowance is equal to 75% of the employee's wages. There is also a provision of convalescence leave of 5-10 days, and the sickness benefit during this time is 30% of the basic salary. If the sickness continues even after 180 days of extended leave, the benefit is reduced to 65% of the wages for employees who have paid social security contributions for 30 years or more, 55% for employees who have paid for 15-30 years, and 50% for employees who have paid for less than 15 years.

Employees who have paid social insurance premiums for 6 months or more within 12 months before childbirth are entitled to 6 months of paid maternity leave. In the case of multiple births, the mother is entitled to one additional month off for each child from the second child onwards. Maternity leave cannot begin earlier than 2 months before the expected date of delivery.

Employees adopting a child younger than 6 months of age are entitled to take paid maternity leave until the child turns 6 months old. Employees are also entitled to paid leave when they experience miscarriage, abortion, or stillbirth.

An employee can return to work before the end of the maternity leave period with approval from her employer if she has taken at least 4 months' leave.

Male employees who have paid social insurance premiums for at least 6 months in the 12 months preceding childbirth or adoption are entitled to a fully paid paternity leave as follows:

• 5 days, under normal circumstances.
• 7 working days when the wife gives birth to a child requiring surgery or giving birth to a child under 32 weeks old
• 10 working days, in case the wife gives birth to twins, additional three working days for each infant from the third child onwards
• 14 working days when the wife has multiple births and requires surgery

Fathers are also entitled to 6 months of leave in case of adoption if the mother is not eligible for leave.

Pension

The Social Insurance Law provides retirement benefits to eligible employees. The general retirement age is 60 years for men and 55 years for women, with at least 20 years of insurance coverage. Beginning July 1, 2025, the normal retirement age will gradually rise 3 months a year for men and 4 months for women. Vulnerable groups may be exempt from the normal retirement age increases.

The monthly retirement pension of qualified employees is equivalent to 45% of the average monthly salary, corresponding to 15 years of contributions for females and 20 years for males, plus 2% for each additional year of paying social insurance contributions. The maximum pension rate is 75%. The benefit amount is reduced by 2% each year the pension is claimed before the insured's retirement age. Employees who have contributions exceeding the number of years corresponding to the 75% pension rate may also be entitled to a lump-sum allowance calculated as half a month's salary for each additional year of paid contributions.

Employees who have reached retirement age but have not made the required number of contributions may be entitled to a lump-sum retirement grant based on their average salary and the number of contributions made.

Dependents/Survivors Benefits

In Vietnam, survivors of a deceased insured employee are entitled to receive benefits:

• If the deceased employee had paid social insurance contributions for 15 years or more
• If the deceased person was on a retirement pension
• If the death was caused by a labor accident or an occupational disease

Eligible survivors include children under 18 years of age, surviving wives over 55 years, husbands over 60 years, and dependent parents. The monthly survivors pension for each relative is equal to 50% of the basic salary of the deceased employee, or 70% of the basic wage for relatives who have no guardians or parents.

In case of death caused by a labor accident or an occupational disease, the deceased employee's relatives are entitled to a lump-sum allowance equal to 36 times the basic salary.

Invalidity Benefits

Under the Social Insurance Law of Vietnam, employees are entitled to disability benefits if they have a disability that decreases their working capacity by 61% or more. The monthly pension is paid as 45% of the average monthly salary, corresponding to 15 years of contributions, plus 2% for men and 3% for women for each additional year of paying social insurance contributions. The pension is reduced by 2% for each year the pension is claimed before the insured's retirement age. The disability pension is replaced with an old-age pension after reaching retirement age.

The social insurance scheme also provides coverage in the case of labor accidents and occupational diseases. In case of temporary disability, employees are offered a daily allowance equal to their daily wages until full recovery. For permanent disability, an employee must have at least a 5% decrease in a working capacity to be eligible for benefits. Employees with a 5% to 30% decrease in working capacity receive a lump-sum benefit, while employees with a 31% or more reduction in working capacity receive a monthly pension.

There is a social assistance benefit for people who are severely disabled and do not qualify for a social insurance pension. An allowance of VND 500,000 (Vietnamese dongs) is paid per month to people with severe disabilities, VND 750,00 is paid to people with particularly severe disabilities, VND 1,250,000 per month is paid to people with extremely severe disabilities or the elderly with a severe disability.

The minimum age for full-time employment is 15 years in Vietnam. Children under 13 years can only be employed in light works sports and arts, provided they do not affect the development of their physical health, mental health and personality, and the employment is accepted by the provincial labor authority. Employers are prohibited from hiring minors for heavy and hazardous work and work with exposure to toxic substances.

Working hours for minor employees ages 15 to 18 years must not exceed 8 per day and 40 per week. Employees younger than 15 years of age are not permitted to work more than 4 hours a day and 20 hours a week. Night and overtime work is prohibited for employees under the age of 15 years. Minors are entitled to 14 days of paid annual leave.