Lunar New Year bonuses in the form of... pesticides and fertilizers.

With the saying "hungry all year round, full for three days of Tet," after a year of hard work, laborers always look forward to a substantial Tet bonus so they can save up or buy valuable items for their family and relatives, or simply have a warmer and more prosperous Tet holiday.

Some people are delighted to receive a substantial bonus this time of year, but others are disappointed with only a symbolic Tet bonus, or sometimes just a few packets of candy as Tet gifts because their company suffered losses.

At the end of the year, the issue of Tet bonuses is always a matter of concern and anticipation for employees.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, originally from Thanh Hoa province and currently working for a confectionery company in Thanh Hoa, shared that this Tet holiday, like every other, she only received a case of beer and some sweets as a bonus. Her husband, a driver for a transportation company, also only received a few hundred thousand dong at the end of the year. “I don’t think my husband’s Tet bonus this year will be much better. We have to prepare for Tet on both sides of the family, so it’s quite expensive,” Ms. Hoa confided.

Ms. Hoa further shared that, for workers like her, normally, to provide for their two children's education, she and her husband have to be very careful with their spending to make ends meet. During Tet (Lunar New Year), the worry about food, clothing, and money becomes much greater.

Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy, a garment worker at a factory in Hai Duong, said that the company is small, with only over 20 people, and the monthly salary is normally low.

Ms. Thuy said that, like last year, her Tet bonus was 300,000 VND, along with gifts of several hats produced by the company. At this point, although she doesn't know the exact amount of this year's Tet bonus, Ms. Thuy hopes that as market prices rise, her company's Tet bonus will increase slightly.

According to reports from various localities, Tet bonuses this year have reached hundreds of millions of dong in some places, but elsewhere, many workers still don't dare dream of receiving a Tet bonus. For them, it's still an amount of money they might receive by chance, but if not, they just have to accept it.

Associate Professor Dr. Vu Quang Tho, Director of the Institute of Workers and Trade Unions, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, said: “According to surveys, this year's Tet bonus is not too high, not causing any shocks, and there are no exorbitant bonuses. Businesses all say that Tet bonuses are at a normal level. In my opinion, this year's Tet bonus is still average, similar to previous years.”

Regarding the overall picture of Tet bonuses each year, Mr. Tho believes there are still bright and dark sides intertwined. “The dark side is still dominant; there are some bright sides, but not many. Therefore, it can be concluded that the lives of workers today are still very difficult. Especially during the Tet holiday, they still rely on Tet bonuses,” Mr. Tho shared.

According to Mr. Tho, there are also exceptional cases where businesses reward their employees with pesticides, fertilizers, and other products of the company.

The Director of the Institute of Workers and Trade Unions stated that the disparity in bonuses between businesses is inevitable. Businesses that are thriving will have more regular and higher salaries and bonuses. Conversely, some businesses are performing poorly, or even operating at a loss, so employees have to accept lower Tet bonuses, or even none at all.

Current labor laws do not mandate that businesses must provide Tet bonuses to employees. The amount of Tet bonus depends entirely on the generosity of the business owner, the company's production situation, and the agreement between both parties. This explains why some businesses offer extremely high Tet bonuses, while others end up with negative bonuses.

Some argue that Tet bonuses should be legalized to ensure workers' rights. However, Mr. Vu Quang Tho believes that requiring businesses to give Tet bonuses to their employees in the law would be too rigid, creating difficulties for businesses and producers.

"For producers, to earn a Tet bonus, they need to sell a lot of products and provide many services. Meanwhile, goods produced at the end of the year cannot be sold immediately, and the revenue for the last month is still unknown."

On the other hand, some businesses are doing well, while others are losing money. If this is included in the law, it will be very difficult to force businesses to comply with it,” Mr. Tho analyzed.

While maintaining his stance on protecting workers' rights, Mr. Tho suggested that it's necessary to show understanding towards businesses facing difficulties. He argued that Tet bonuses should only be included in the annual budget, and employees should be informed so they can strive to fulfill the plan.

"In my opinion, this should only be included in the annual budget, announced to employees so they know and can strive for improvement. If they strive and the company achieves its goals, then the employees will receive their salaries and bonuses," Mr. Tho said.

According to Mr. Vu Quang Tho, businesses should be transparent about Tet bonuses. “Financial matters should still be made public in some way, so that employees know what their goals are and how to strive for them. For businesses facing difficulties, this is a way for employees to share the burden with the company. For businesses that are doing well and operating legitimately, there is nothing to be ashamed of,” Mr. Tho stated.