Vietnam proposes longer 2027 Tet break, but will private-sector workers get the same?
Vietnam has proposed extended breaks for Vietnam Culture Day and the 2027 Lunar New Year for public-sector workers, but employees at private companies may not automatically receive the same number of days off.
Workers on a production line at LITEON Vietnam Co., Ltd. Photo: Supplied
The Ministry of Home Affairs has submitted to the government a proposal for a four-day break around Vietnam Culture Day on November 24, 2026, as well as a seven-day consecutive holiday for the 2027 Lunar New Year (Tet).
Under the Tet proposal, public-sector employees would receive the five statutory Lunar New Year holidays plus two compensatory days off because part of the holiday period falls on a weekend.
They would therefore have seven consecutive days off, from Thursday, February 4, the 28th day of the final lunar month, through Wednesday, February 10, the fifth day of the first lunar month.
For Vietnam Culture Day, the ministry has proposed moving the working day on Monday, November 23 to Saturday, November 28.
This would allow civil servants and public employees to take four consecutive days off from Saturday, November 21 through Tuesday, November 24, before returning to work on Wednesday. They would work on Saturday, November 28 to make up for the transferred working day.
However, Nguyen Thi Quyen, deputy director of the ministry’s Department of Employment, said the proposed extended schedules apply to officials, civil servants, public employees, and other workers in the public sector.
For the private sector, employees at businesses are entitled to take Tuesday, November 24, Vietnam Culture Day, off with full pay, as required by law.
Regarding the 2027 Tet holiday, employers may choose one of three five-day schedules depending on their operations: one day before Lunar New Year’s Day and four days after, two days before and three days after, or three days before and two days after.
The ministry said companies must ensure that workers receive at least the number of paid holidays required by law, while taking into account business conditions and giving employees enough time to prepare for the Lunar New Year.
Employers are also encouraged to follow the same extended holiday schedules proposed for the public sector where possible and to offer arrangements that are more favorable to workers.
Under current regulations, employees in Vietnam are entitled to 12 fully paid public holidays each year.
These include one day for New Year’s Day, five days for the Lunar New Year, one day for Reunification Day, one day for International Workers’ Day, two days for National Day, one day for Hung Kings Commemoration Day, and one day for Vietnam Culture Day.
Whether private-sector employees receive additional days off beyond the statutory minimum will therefore depend on each company’s operating conditions and internal holiday arrangements.
The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor has said Vietnam still has relatively few public holidays compared with many countries in the region and around the world.
It said additional days off could give workers more time to rest, recover and spend with their families, while also helping boost consumer spending, tourism and services.
The trade union organization has previously suggested adding two more public holidays around National Day, potentially allowing workers to take a four-day break from September 2 to 5.
Ngoc Nguyen - Thanh Chung / Tuoi Tre News
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