Working Hours and Overtime in Vietnam

What Are The Standard Working Hours In Vietnam?

An employee whose age is 15 or younger has a maximum of 4 hours per day and 20 hours per week. An employee whose age is 18 or older is allowed to work 48 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 30 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 6 hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 8:00 to 17:00.

Maximum Working Hours In Vietnam

Under the Labour Code, the standard working time in Vietnam must not exceed 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adult employees. You may arrange working time on a daily or weekly basis, for example up to 10 hours per day if the weekly total still does not exceed 48 hours. You must clearly communicate the chosen working time arrangement in internal regulations or employment contracts.

Collective labour agreements can refine scheduling, such as compressed workweeks, but they cannot lawfully increase the statutory 48-hour weekly ceiling. When applying flexible or shift-based schedules, you must ensure that daily and weekly limits, rest breaks, and overtime thresholds are respected. You are also required to maintain accurate timekeeping records to demonstrate compliance during inspections.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

Companies hiring in sectors like healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, or hospitality may be subject to special scheduling rules. In Vietnam, these sectors often rely on shift work and irregular hours, but you must still respect the 8-hour standard day or 48-hour standard week unless overtime rules are properly applied. Any deviation must be supported by lawful internal regulations and, where required, employee consent.

• Healthcare professionals may work 12-hour shifts with extended rest periods.
• Transport workers must comply with EU-aligned rest and driving limits.
• Manufacturing and security staff often rotate through night or weekend shifts.

Even in these sectors, you must ensure the average weekly limit is respected over a reference period. In Vietnam, when you organize longer shifts, you must offset them with additional rest or reduced hours on other days so that the average does not exceed 48 hours per week. You should document these arrangements in shift rosters and collective agreements to evidence compliance.

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Vietnamese law allows certain managerial or senior executive employees to have more flexible working time arrangements, but they are not fully exempt from all working-hour protections. You may agree on broader availability or irregular schedules in their contracts, yet you must still respect health and safety principles and avoid excessive working hours. Any agreement that attempts to waive statutory minimum protections, such as mandatory rest days, will be unenforceable.

For managers who are genuinely responsible for running the enterprise or a department, overtime tracking may be less formal, but you should still keep reasonable records of their working time. Clearly define their role, responsibilities, and expected working patterns in the employment contract. This helps distinguish them from regular staff and reduces the risk of disputes over unpaid overtime.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In Vietnam

In Vietnam, full-time work is generally understood as working up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for adult employees. You may set a lower internal standard, such as 40 hours per week, but you cannot exceed the statutory ceiling without triggering overtime. Any full-time schedule must be specified in the employment contract or internal labour regulations.

You can distribute full-time hours across 5 or 6 working days, provided that employees receive at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest. Part-time employees work fewer hours than the standard daily or weekly hours and should have this status clearly reflected in their contracts. When part-time staff exceed their agreed hours beyond the standard limits, those additional hours may qualify as overtime and must be paid accordingly.

Overtime Regulations In Vietnam

As an employer in Vietnam, you must obtain employee consent for overtime, respect statutory caps, and pay legally mandated overtime premiums. You are required to maintain detailed records of hours worked, overtime performed, and corresponding payments to demonstrate compliance. Failure to do so can result in administrative fines, back-pay orders, and potential suspension of operations in serious cases.

What Counts As Overtime In Vietnam?

Overtime in Vietnam is any working time that exceeds the agreed normal working hours, typically more than 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week for full-time employees. Work performed beyond the standard hours on weekly rest days or public holidays is also treated as overtime, with higher statutory pay rates. Overtime must be based on the employee’s consent, except in limited emergency situations defined by law.

When you apply a weekly or shift-based schedule, overtime is calculated against the total normal hours in the reference period, not just a single day. Any hours beyond the normal schedule that you have registered in internal regulations or collective agreements will be considered overtime. You must clearly communicate overtime rules and obtain written or electronic confirmation from employees where practicable.

Maximum Overtime In Vietnam

Vietnamese law sets strict numerical caps on overtime to protect employee health. In general, overtime must not exceed 50% of the normal daily working hours, meaning no more than 4 overtime hours on a standard 8-hour day. Total working time, including overtime, must not exceed 12 hours in any one day.

On a weekly basis, overtime must not exceed 40 hours per month and 200 hours per year for most sectors. In specific industries and circumstances permitted by the Government, such as manufacturing of export goods or seasonal work, the annual cap can be increased to 300 hours per year, but you must meet statutory conditions and provide additional safeguards. You should monitor cumulative overtime closely to ensure no employee exceeds the 40-hour monthly limit or the 200–300 hour annual thresholds.

Overtime Payout Rates In Vietnam

Vietnam mandates numerical minimum overtime premiums based on the employee’s actual hourly wage. For overtime worked on normal working days, you must pay at least 150% of the employee’s normal hourly rate (1.5x). For overtime performed during weekly rest days, the minimum premium is 200% of the normal hourly rate (2.0x).

When employees work overtime on public holidays or paid leave days, you must pay at least 300% of the normal hourly rate (3.0x), not including the salary for the holiday itself. For night-time overtime, you must add both the night-work premium and the overtime premium, which can bring the total to at least 170%–390% of the normal hourly rate depending on the day. Always calculate these premiums on the basis of the actual wage, including any relevant allowances used to determine the overtime rate.

Rest Periods And Breaks In Vietnam

In Vietnam, employees generally work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and rest periods are structured around these limits to protect health and safety. You must provide meal breaks during long shifts, daily rest between working days, and weekly rest days so that total working time remains within statutory boundaries. These rest entitlements apply to both fixed-schedule and shift workers, with specific protections for minors and certain vulnerable groups.

• Meal Break: Employees who work more than 6 hours in a day must receive at least a 30-minute uninterrupted meal break, and for night shifts this break must be at least 45 minutes. You should schedule this break roughly in the middle of the shift and ensure it is not counted as working time unless your internal rules provide otherwise.
• Daily Rest: Between two working shifts, employees must generally have at least 12 consecutive hours of rest. When you arrange overtime or split shifts, you must still respect this 12-hour daily rest requirement to avoid fatigue and legal non-compliance.
• Weekly Rest: Employees are entitled to at least 24 consecutive hours of rest each week, typically on Sunday or another fixed day. If continuous operations prevent a fixed weekly rest day, you must ensure an average of at least one day off per week over a month.
• Minors: Employees under 18 benefit from stricter rest and break rules, including shorter daily working hours and more frequent breaks where necessary. You must not assign them to night work or hazardous tasks, and you should structure their schedules to prioritize schooling and recovery time.
• Employer Duty: As an employer, you are responsible for designing work schedules that incorporate all mandatory breaks and rest periods under Vietnamese law. You must also keep records and communicate these entitlements clearly so employees can effectively take their rest.

Night Shifts And Weekend Regulations In Vietnam

Night and weekend work are legal in Vietnam but subject to additional employer responsibilities and employee protections. You must manage scheduling, health and safety, and compensation carefully to ensure that employees working these hours are not disadvantaged. Proper planning and documentation are essential to demonstrate compliance during inspections.

Night work in Vietnam is legally defined as work performed between 22:00 and 06:00 the following day, and this definition applies across most roles and sectors. Any hours worked within this window trigger specific night-work rules, including premium pay and additional protections for certain categories of workers. You should clearly identify night shifts in rosters and payroll systems so that premiums are calculated correctly.

• Premium Pay: For night work, you must pay at least an additional 30% of the employee’s normal daytime hourly rate for hours worked between 22:00 and 06:00, bringing the minimum to 130% (1.3x) of the normal rate. If the night work is also overtime, you must add both the overtime premium and the 30% night premium, which can raise the total to at least 170%–390% of the normal hourly rate depending on the day.
• Health Monitoring: While Vietnamese law does not mandate periodic medical exams for all night workers, you are required to ensure safe and healthy working conditions, including for night shifts. It is good practice to offer health checks and fatigue management measures for employees who regularly work at night, especially in safety-sensitive roles.
• Workplace Restrictions: Minors under 18 and pregnant or nursing employees are generally prohibited or restricted from working at night and in hazardous conditions under Vietnamese law. You must assess each case and reassign such employees to suitable daytime work or adjust schedules to avoid night and heavy work.

Weekend work, including work on the usual weekly rest day, is allowed in Vietnam if employees consent and statutory limits on hours and overtime are respected. When employees work on their weekly rest day, you must pay at least 200% of the normal hourly rate (2.0x) for those hours, and if the day is also a public holiday the premium increases to at least 300% (3.0x) plus the holiday pay. You must also provide a substitute rest day if continuous operations prevent employees from taking their regular weekly day off.