Editor's note:

For businesses that always consider workers as valuable assets, Tet is also an opportunity to show concern and care for them materially and spiritually to retain workers. According to records, in the 2024 Lunar New Year, businesses that "do well" have their workers fully paid bonuses, and those in difficult places have also tried to give Tet gifts.

Happy and sad Tet bonus

When asked about the Tet bonus in a difficult economic year, Ms. D., working at PouYuen Vietnam Co., Ltd. (in Ho Chi Minh City), shared that the company announced that it would transfer the Tet bonus at the end of January. This year's bonus is almost the same as last year's and the company calculates it based on the salary coefficient.

According to a source from this company, the average Tet bonus is about 17 million VND, the highest is 67 million VND and the lowest is more than 5 million.

The source also said that despite being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and economic recession, the company still tried to give year-end bonuses to employees.

"Due to the difficult impact, in 2023, the company also cut staff in many waves, about 9,000 workers," the source shared.

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Workers of a company in Ho Chi Minh City attend the year-end party. Photo: HV

Among those being cut, Ms. Hue (from Nghe An ) said that last year when she was still working for the company, her Tet bonus was also more than 20 million VND (coefficient 1.9). But this year, without this source, spending is very difficult. "In general, it is sadder than last year," Ms. Hue said sadly.

Ms. Hue also said that many people like her who were subject to layoffs have returned to their hometowns because they lost their jobs and could not stay in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ms. H., a worker at Freetrend Company (Linh Trung 2 Export Processing Zone), said that this year the company announced the same Tet bonus as last year, also calculated according to the salary coefficient. Ms. H. shared that her bonus was more than 20 million with a salary coefficient of 1.98. According to her, this is the amount of money that workers like her look forward to so that they can have more money to spend on Tet for their family.

In Binh Duong , one of the localities with the largest number of workers in the country with more than 1.6 million workers, the issue of Tet bonuses is also receiving attention.

Talking to us, Mr. Pham Xuan Truong (34 years old, living in Thuan An city, Binh Duong province) said that at the end of the year, the company always announces giving away a Tet gift including candy, cooking oil, tea...

“Many people suggested to the department head that the company convert the gifts into cash, but it was not accepted. After that, everyone received gifts in the form of goods,” said Mr. Truong.

Some workers wish that, because each family's living needs are different, it would be more appropriate if the company gave cash, so that whoever wants to buy something can take the initiative, instead of receiving gifts that they do not use.

However, the Tet bonus is also a gift, Ms. L. (27 years old, living in Ben Cat town, Binh Duong province) shared that upon receiving that information, everyone felt warm, agreed and shared the company's difficulties. They also said that if these gifts were converted into cash, they would not be much. In fact, this amount of money is not enough to buy the products included in the gift from the company.

Extra gold bar reward for long-term customers

A union official of Freetrend Company said that in addition to the Tet bonus, the company has a tradition of giving additional gold rewards to long-time workers, for example, 10 years of seniority will be rewarded with 1 tael, 20 years will be rewarded with 1.5 taels.

Similarly, the Board of Directors of Apparel Far Eastern Vietnam Co., Ltd. (located in Binh Duong) said that the company decided to give gifts of gratitude to 24 employees with 15 years of service, each gift including 1 tael of gold, a thank you letter and flowers.

Worker Nguyen Thi Thuy Oanh, Apparel Far Eastern Company Limited expressed: "Receiving gold from the company, workers feel more motivated to try harder every day and stay with the company longer."

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Van, a union official at Long Rich Company Limited (Linh Trung 2 Export Processing Zone) also shared that in 2023, the company faced many difficulties, lacking orders for up to 6 months, sometimes working only 4 days/week. However, the company still rewarded employees the same as last year and still maintained the bonus policy of 1 SJC gold bar for those who worked for 10 years.

Tet bonus remains stable

According to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (LĐ-TB&XH) of Ho Chi Minh City, most businesses are interested, share, and try to give Tet bonuses to employees according to bonus regulations, collective labor agreements, and labor contracts.

The average bonus is about 12.3 million VND/person, almost equivalent to the Lunar New Year 2023 (12.8 million VND/person). Of which, the highest level is more than 2 billion VND/person (belonging to FDI enterprises) and the lowest is 4.8 million VND/person.

In addition to Tet bonuses, many businesses also have additional forms of support such as giving Tet gifts, shopping vouchers, lucky money, organizing shuttle buses (or supporting travel expenses, giving away bus tickets).

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Workers attend the Tet reunion and receive gifts organized by the Management Board of Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks of Ho Chi Minh City.

In addition, many businesses have plans to organize year-end parties and visit workers in difficult circumstances, and organize Tet celebrations for workers who are unable to return home during this time.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation, in addition to bonuses from businesses, the labor sector also organizes visits and gives gifts to workers.

For workers staying behind, the Federation coordinated with many units to organize the program "Workers' families enjoy Tet with the city" at Dam Sen Cultural Park. This program had nearly 22,000 households of union members, exemplary workers and civil servants, who completed production and business tasks well, actively participated in union activities; union members and union members at accommodation areas and boarding houses.

Regarding Binh Duong, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said that out of a total of 1,900 enterprises reporting Tet bonuses, the largest number were foreign-invested enterprises (FDI) with nearly 1,300 units.

The lowest Tet bonus of FDI enterprises is 4.68 million VND/person, the highest is 574 million VND, the average is 7.1 million VND/person. In private enterprises, the average bonus is 6.7 million VND/person; the highest is 330 million VND/person; the lowest is 4.68 million VND/person. In state-owned enterprises, the highest bonus is 42 million VND/person; the lowest is 9 million VND; the average is nearly 10 million VND/person.

Next: Workers' Tet bonus: Some calculate every penny, others happily buy tickets to fly home