Pupils and students aged 15 and over are allowed to work part-time but not more than 20 hours per week during the school year, according to the draft revised Employment Law.
This is the first time the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has proposed managing part-time jobs of pupils and students. The draft is receiving comments from March 15.
Specifically, pupils and students of working age - that is, 15 years of age or older, are allowed to work part-time but no more than 20 hours per week during school term, no more than 48 hours per week during vacation.
According to the current Labor Code, employees at enterprises work no more than 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week. The State encourages businesses to implement a 40-hour working week; overtime work less than 40 hours per month and not more than 200 hours per year.
Thus, if it is during the school term, the number of part-time working hours per week of a student is nearly half that of a normal worker. The draft only sets limits on weekly working hours. If the 5-day work week rule is applied, on average children can work 4 hours per day.
Staff at a restaurant in Hai Ba Trung district (Hanoi) clean tables and chairs. Image: Giang Huy
The wages of pupils and students will be according to the agreement with the employer, based on time, volume and quality of work. They have equal employment opportunities, are not discriminated against, and are guaranteed occupational safety and hygiene.
Educational institutions are responsible for managing students who work part-time.
In Vietnam, there has not been any national-scale research on students working part-time. However, some surveys at the university level show that 70-80% of students are or have worked part-time.
According to regulations, the current minimum remuneration for workers is 15.600 to 22.500 VND per hour, depending on the region.
In the world, many countries also stipulate that students and international students are allowed to work 20-24 hours per week such as England, Australia, America, Finland, and Poland. In particular, Sweden does not limit the number of hours, while Switzerland only allows international students to work 15 hours a week.
Hong Chieu
