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Civil servants and public employees could get four consecutive days off from 21 to 24 November, with a compensatory working day proposed for 28 November.
Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed two options for the public holiday marking the first Vietnam Cultural Day this November, including a plan to swap working days to create a four-day break, Vietnam News reported.
This will be the first year that a public holiday has been declared for this day. Employees will be entitled to a paid day off on the day of observance, i.e., 24 November (Tuesday).
According to Vietnam News, under the ministry’s first proposal, the working day on 23 November (Monday) would be swapped with 28 November (Saturday). This would give civil servants and public employees four consecutive days off, from 21 November (Saturday) through 24 November (Tuesday). They would then work a compensatory day on Saturday, 28 November.
The second option would leave the working schedule unchanged, with employees taking only the paid day off on 24 November (Tuesday) to mark Vietnam Cultural Day.
The ministry said it favoured the first option, which would create the four-day break through the working-day swap. According to the ministry, the arrangement would give cadres, civil servants, and public employees more time to take part in cultural activities.
It said this would help promote the significance of Vietnam Cultural Day, while also supporting the organisation of cultural, tourism and service activities and stimulating consumer demand.
Businesses can also consider four-day break
Employees in the business sector will still be entitled to a fully paid day off on 24 November (Tuesday) under existing regulations, the ministry was quoted as saying.
It also encouraged employers to apply the same four-day holiday arrangement proposed for civil servants and public employees, provided all statutory benefits and entitlements are fully guaranteed.
The ministry recommended that businesses consider reaching agreements with employees on arrangements that offer more favourable conditions than those required by law.
As further reported, the four-day break option has received support from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Cited by Vietnam News, Ngọ Duy Hiểu, Vice President, Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, said the organisation supported swapping working days to give employees four consecutive days off.
He added that the arrangement would give workers more time to rest and spend time with their families, further highlighting the cultural aspect of the proposed break, noting that it would be a rare opportunity for workers to take part in the country’s cultural and sporting activities.
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