Employees of weak banks that were forced to undergo restructuring, such as MBV, DongA Bank, GPBank, and VCBNeo (the new name for CB), have been accustomed for many years to not receiving Lunar New Year bonuses like other banks, ever since they were placed under special supervision 10 years ago.

With the State Bank of Vietnam having completed the mandatory transfer of these four banks before the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025, employees at these banks are hoping for a different kind of Tet holiday than in previous years.

However, sharing with VietNamNet, an employee with over 10 years of experience working at a "zero-capital" bank said: "Hopefully, next year the business will be profitable, and we'll escape the accumulated losses so we'll receive a Tet bonus like our colleagues at other banks. But this year, there's still no bonus. Although it's disheartening, we generally understand because the bank has only recently transitioned to a new management company. We encourage each other, saying that having a job at this time is already a blessing."

At SCB, a bank under special supervision, even on the last working day before the Tet holiday, employees were still eagerly awaiting the "ting ting" sound of their 13th-month salary.

Meanwhile, the Big4 banks such as BIDV, Vietcombank, VietinBank, and Agribank are giving Tet bonuses based on each branch and the level of KPI achievement.

According to a long-time employee at BIDV , the branch that performs exceptionally well in 2024 will receive the highest Tet bonus. Each branch determines the bonus amount based on a coefficient of 1, 2, or 3. The highest bonus is determined to be equivalent to 3 months' income.

"The bonus fund is allocated to each branch and distributed in 6-month and 12-month periods. In addition, each BIDV branch will give an extra 2 million VND bonus, and the head office will give an additional 5 million VND per person," a BIDV employee revealed.

At Agribank, the Tet bonus is considered the lowest among the big 4 banks, with each employee receiving one month's salary. However, there will be additional income under different names.

"In addition, at the end of the year, each employee receives extra 'other payments' such as overtime pay, performance bonuses, etc., so the actual income during Tet is quite good," an Agribank employee said.

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Vietcombank employees can receive Lunar New Year bonuses of up to hundreds of millions of VND. Photo: Hoang Ha.

At Vietcombank, a department head stated that bonuses of up to 6-8 months' salary are entirely possible, depending on the branch.

Previously, Vietcombank paid out bonuses for the third quarter at the end of December 2024 and one month's salary as a New Year's bonus.

According to an accountant who previously worked at three of the Big4 banks, Tet bonuses depend on the ranking and classification of each branch. Branches ranked 1 will have the highest bonuses, with outstanding employees (ranked A) naturally receiving the highest bonuses, sometimes up to 7-8 months' salary.

However, if a branch is ranked 2nd or 3rd but its employees are only rated B or C, the difference in Tet bonuses compared to those ranked A will be significant. Furthermore, if the branch has a high rate of bad debt, employees may only receive one month's basic salary, or in particularly bad cases, only 75% of their basic salary.

"Big4 banks base their bonuses on the business performance of each branch, as well as the salary and welfare fund. Branches that are underperforming or newly established don't have the resources for salaries, bonuses, or large distributions. Therefore, information about Tet bonuses at banks is often leaked by those selling preparatory courses for Big4 entrance exams."

At private banks, TPBank awards bonuses equivalent to 6-8 months' salary based on KPI achievement. The base salary at this bank commonly ranges from 15-30 million VND. In addition to the base salary, TPBank employees also receive bonuses based on KPIs and commissions on insurance sales.

After drastically streamlining its operations, LPBank announced its Tet bonus on the last working day of the old year, with the bonus amount being 1.5 months' salary.

However, the above figure is only an "advance payment". After the Lunar New Year, LPBank employees will receive additional bonuses based on performance evaluations, along with bonuses according to criteria set by the bank.

At MB, bonuses for outstanding employees can reach hundreds of millions of VND. With Tet bonuses varying according to year-end performance, MB employees this year generally received higher bonuses compared to last year.

HDBank employees are also delighted this Tet holiday as each person receives a bonus of up to 3 months' income.

Some banks use the STI (short-term incentive) principle for calculating bonuses, leaving employees confused about the exact calculation method. However, according to an employee at VIB, one of the banks that uses this method, VIBers' Tet bonuses are equivalent to two months' salary, with additional bonuses for outstanding performance.

In general, Tet bonuses still depend on the overall business results of the bank. Smaller banks with thin profit margins and lower average monthly incomes compared to the industry average usually pay Tet bonuses at an average of only 1-1.5 months' salary. Meanwhile, larger banks with substantial profits will offer larger bonuses, which is a well-deserved recognition of a year's dedication from their employees.