Amid economic difficulties, many enterprises have applied several measures to bore their staff out of employment, rather than make them officially redundant.
Many firms still continue to dismiss their workers amid economic difficulties
According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), over 45,000 companies across the country filed for bankruptcy in the first ten months of this year.
Due to their difficulties, many companies have had to curbed production and cut their workforce. In several cases, even well-trained workers have been put in ridiculous situations that have forced them to voluntarily leave their jobs.
Ridiculous situations
Ms. Yen was head of the communication department at a real estate firm in Hanoi. Due to the market slump, her company reported a decrease in revenues in the last two months, leaving her without her paycheque.
Worse still, since then the company started to apply strict regulations.
“I was surprised and embarrassed when being reminded about going to the toilet for more than five minutes. They repeated their behaviour several times.”
Yen decided to stop her job two months later and more surprisingly her proposal was approved right away.
Ms. Nga when seven months pregnant and working as a secretary for her company’s marketing department was moved to work in the firm’s kitchen. She was compelled to quit her job half month later as she felt bored and tired at work.
Another worker in Thuy’s company was also moved to work in the kitchen after her maternal leave despite previously working on the company’s website. She voluntarily left her job two weeks later.
Slower recruitment
Managing Director Nguyen Thi Van Anh, of Navigos Search, an employment consultancy agency, said many firms still continue to dismiss their workers, especially in the finance and banking sector.
“Few companies in the sector have new recruitment plans. Employment opportunities are just offered to fill vacancies of those who have left,” she commented.
Some banks that are in the process of restructuring have cut their labour force and have no new recruitment plans.
The recruitment freeze continues to affect other sectors, especially at foreign invested companies. Only some Japanese invested firms have demand for new employees, she noted.
An anonymous official from Careervision Company said the dismissal of office staff had happened as a result of their human resource restructuring to save wage costs and management expenses.
Increasing numbers of management staff at medium level have failed to meet increasingly harder work demands, while it has been easier for leading company officials to be sacked amid the current economic difficulties.
“It’s high time for most staff to accept more tasks for the same pay in order to maintain their job,” Anh added.
Many firms have deliberately made life intolerable for their staff
