Tet Bonus for Employees: Light and Dark Colors

That reality brings a mixed picture of activities to ensure workers' welfare, especially Tet Nguyen Dan Quy Mao 2023 welfare.

Maximum support for workers in difficult circumstances

As one of 200 workers in difficult circumstances who received meaningful gifts from the Provincial Labor Federation at the program "Workers' Festival - Welcome to the Year of the Cat 2023", Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam (Le Loi hamlet, Nghia Hieu commune, Nghia Dan district) is still very emotional. Because in addition to that source of encouragement, at her workplace, she also received companionship and support from the company with many benefits to have a warm and fulfilling Tet.

She shared that during her years working at TH Milk Food Joint Stock Company as a milking worker, every year on the occasion of Lunar New Year she would receive a Tet bonus including a 13th month salary and a Tet gift in kind worth 1 million VND. After Tet, she would also receive a 14th month salary, or even a 15th month salary if the company met or exceeded its targets. In particular, workers in difficult circumstances like her would also receive Tet gifts from the company in cash worth from 600,000 VND to 2 million VND depending on the annual benefits.

Thanks to a stable salary and benefits over many years, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lam (a milking worker at TH Milk Food Joint Stock Company) and her children have a solid foundation to stabilize their lives. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Gathering with her children in a small house, Ms. Lam said that in 2018, her husband became seriously ill. After 2 years of going in and out of large and small hospitals without any progress, he passed away in 2020, leaving behind 4 young children, including two twins who are just entering 2nd grade this year. The lives of the mother and children depend entirely on her income, but with stable support and benefits from the company, over the years, she and her children have had a solid foundation to stabilize their lives.

According to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Nghe An province, TH Milk Food Joint Stock Company where Ms. Lam works (located in Nghia Dan district) is the enterprise with the highest expected Tet bonus for employees in Nghe An province.

On the general level of Nghia Dan district, besides a few businesses that have to reduce working hours or cut down on employees, many businesses are trying their best to take care of the lives of their workers. Especially ensuring welfare for workers during Tet.

According to Mr. Tran Van Duong - Chairman of the Labor Federation of Nghia Dan district, the whole district has 121 affiliated trade union units. Of which, 21 units belong to the business sector. Entering 2022,production and business activities of enterprisesInitially stabilized, average income of workers in enterprises is 5.0-5.7 million VND/person/month.

Based on the survey of working life and income of workers and laborers during the Lunar New Year last year, most businesses in the area gave their employees a bonus of 1-2 months of basic salary. Entering these last days of the year, some businesses in the district have begun to inform about the 2023 Lunar New Year bonus. In general, businesses are making efforts to ensure the most thorough Tet welfare for employees.

The Provincial Labor Federation visited and worked at a number of FDI enterprises under the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union and the Dien Chau District Labor Federation to grasp the business and production situation and salary and bonus regimes for workers and laborers at the end of the year. Photo: Diep Thanh

Businesses overcome difficulties to provide Tet benefits for employees

As the central area of ​​the province, Vinh city currently has 197 grassroots trade unions and unions with a total of nearly 13,300 employees. Of which, there are 8 state-owned enterprises, 2 100% foreign-owned enterprises, 22 joint stock companies and 19 limited liability companies.

Ms. Tran Le Thi - Vice President of Vinh City Labor Federation said that after a year of hard work, year-end benefits, especially Tet benefits, are what all workers look forward to. This year, in the context of declining employment and difficult life, year-end benefits are even more meaningful to workers. In response to the expectations of workers, many businesses said they have been building plans to take care of Tet for workers, including efforts to ensure salaries and Tet bonuses.

Em-tech Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Nghe An is one of the enterprises with the highest expected Tet bonus in Vinh city. Photo: CSCC

Among them, some companies and businesses have made significant progress in taking care of their customers.Tet benefits for workers and laborersFor example, Em-tech Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Nghe An announced the expected salary and bonus for employees at over 22 million VND (for the highest). Previously, the company's union also coordinated with the City Labor Federation to visit and give gifts to workers in difficult circumstances, each worth 500,000 VND.

Starting from a business that still has difficulty ensuring welfare for workers, in the past year, this unit has made efforts to increase the value of meals for workers and employees. At the same time, the criteria for seniority allowance, rank allowance, and diligence allowance have been rebuilt in a more beneficial way for employees. From there, it has created trust and motivation for employees in the working process.

In the Southeast Economic Zone - where there are more than 120 businesses operating with tens of thousands of employees, the businesses have not yet announced the Lunar New Year bonus for workers and employees. However, the Southeast Economic Zone Trade Union said that, based on the situation, most businesses still have Tet welfare policies to ensure the welfare of workers.

Many businesses always strive to ensure working hours and benefits for workers when Tet comes and Spring comes. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Ndark colors

At the end of 2022, Nghe An had more than 1,000 workers whose labor contracts were terminated. Although the holiday was near Tet, all of these workers did not receive any Tet bonuses.

In some fields, typically teachers, there is no 13th month salary or Tet bonus like employees in enterprises. However, at the end of the year, the government, the industry's trade union, and the school often try to arrange a sum to pay teachers. Many people call this a "Tet bonus". This amount is quite low compared to the current standard of living.

In general, the 2023 Lunar New Year welfare is also forecast to decrease compared to the 2022 Lunar New Year. Recently, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Nghe An province coordinated with the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone, the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to conduct a survey at enterprises under their management in the area.

Accordingly, the average bonus that businesses give to employees for the Lunar New Year of Quy Mao is 4.2 million VND/person (down 8.1% compared to 2022), the highest is 80 million VND/person (down 20% compared to 2022), the lowest is 100 thousand VND/person.

Some businesses are gloomy and deserted as they have to temporarily stop production due to lack of orders at the end of the year. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Compared to last year, this year's Tet bonus is lower, with an average of only 4.2 million VND/person, compared to last year's average Tet bonus of 4.6 million VND/person; the highest bonus is up to 100 million VND/person.

That shows that there are still many difficulties facing businesses in the province. To ensure employment and welfare for workers, there needs to be more sustainable policies on training and connecting labor supply and demand./.

Thanh Quynh