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In the midst of Vietnam's expanding economy, foreign businesses face challenges when it comes to the employment process and effectively utilizing local human resources (HR). The Employer of Record (EOR) emerges as a strategic solution for employers navigating the dynamic landscape of this Southeast Asian gem. Viettonkin, in this analysis, delves into the challenges faced by companies aiming for prosperity in Vietnam. From the intricacies of the HR landscape to streamlining the employment journey, we highlight the crucial role of EOR in overcoming barriers and ensuring seamless operations for global enterprises.

Difficulties facing foreign businesses entering Vietnam’s market

Navigating Vietnam's dynamic talent landscape poses a multifaceted challenge for businesses:

Difficulties facing foreign businesses entering Vietnams market
Navigating Vietnam's dynamic talent landscape poses a multifaceted challenge for businesses.
Source: Internet

EOR – a game-changing solution for foreign businesses

For foreign businesses grappling with the intricate challenges of recruitment and management in Vietnam, the emergence of Employer of Record (EOR) introduces a transformative paradigm. Instead of independently maneuvering through the complexities of the local labor landscape, companies can opt for the strategic support of EOR services. EOR assumes a crucial role by overseeing the entire spectrum of recruitment, training, and employee management, bringing specialized expertise to bear on aspects such as contracts, tax compliance, and regulatory updates. Acting as the legal employer, EOR navigates the intricacies of taxes and labor laws, affording foreign companies the freedom to retain control over day-to-day operations and employee relationships. This streamlined and collaborative approach not only significantly reduces the intricacies of HR processes but also serves as a catalyst for enhanced market access and simplified international payroll procedures. In essence, EOR stands as a comprehensive solution, empowering employers in Vietnam with a strategic framework for seamless operations and sustained success.

Foreign businesses gain substantial benefits from EOR

Employer of Record (EOR) services go beyond the conventional hiring process, offering a multifaceted suite of advantages crucial for foreign businesses venturing into new markets, especially in Vietnam.

By proactively assuming the recruitment responsibilities, EOR alleviates concerns related to company registration and foreign labor applications, enabling foreign companies to swiftly initiate operations in Vietnam. Leveraging a profound understanding of the local market and labor force, EOR efficiently shortlists qualified candidates, saving substantial time and effort. Moreover, EOR facilitates market entry by conducting cost-effective market research, identifying potential distributors, and establishing relationships with clients or partners. As a comprehensive solution, EOR remains vigilant in ensuring that foreign companies adhere to local regulations, shielding them from potential sanctions arising from evolving employment policies. With EOR, foreign businesses not only streamline their entry into the Vietnamese market but also fortify their foundation for long-term success.

Foreign businesses gain substantial benefits from EOR
EOR services go beyond the conventional hiring process, offering a multifaceted suite of advantages crucial for foreign businesses into Vietnam. Source: Internet

Where to find high-quality EOR service in Vietnam?

Backed by a decade of industry leadership in Vietnam, Viettonkin stands as the foremost consulting firm dedicated to fast-tracking the triumph of foreign enterprises and investors in the vibrant Vietnamese market. Acknowledging the time-sensitive intricacies that accompany venturing into a new country, we provide an all-encompassing array of solutions meticulously crafted to streamline the complexities inherent in employment and related matters. Armed with profound insights into Vietnam's labor market, coupled with extensive proficiency in payroll, taxes, and legislative dynamics, Viettonkin emerges as your unwavering partner for unparalleled Employer of Record (EOR) services. Our commitment goes beyond comprehension of your unique requirements; we specialize in delivering tailor-made solutions with utmost efficiency.

Strategically engineered to prioritize both speed and quality, our EOR service at Viettonkin acts as a catalyst in expediting your talent acquisition process. This approach empowers you to swiftly establish a strong foothold in Vietnam's dynamic market, enabling the initiation of business operations within a matter of days. Additionally, our dedication extends to the swift resolution of any disputes that may arise from employees we recruit on your behalf. Moreover, we guarantee a seamless market withdrawal, alleviating concerns related to labor contracts and regulatory intricacies. Choose Viettonkin as your strategic ally to navigate the intricate landscape of the Vietnamese business environment, where our comprehensive expertise ensures not only swift market entry but also a secure foundation for sustained success.

Where to find high-quality EOR service in Vietnam?
Viettonkin emerges as an unwavering partner for unparalleled Employer of Record (EOR) services.

Final thought

Select Viettonkin as your committed ally in navigating Vietnam's business complexities. With our unmatched expertise and dedication to excellence, we expedite your market entry, offering a steadfast framework for enduring success. Connect with us today, initiating a journey where your business flourishes seamlessly in the dynamic Vietnamese market. With our tailored solutions and deep understanding of the local landscape, Viettonkin ensures your venture is positioned for triumph in every aspect of human resource and employment processes through the support of our Employer of Record services.

Remote Working in Singapore - As companies begin to focus on recovering from the pandemic, uncertainty circumstances, however there is one thing to be clear, remote working is still here to stay. Most businesses will not return to the old orders of crowded offices and face-to-face meetings, or it might be happening again but not anytime soon. Furthermore, companies that were ‘remote-friendly’ before or during the crisis may be about to shift to being ‘remote-first.’

Thus, this article will give you information about remote working and the tips to build safe remote-first companies in Singapore, especially the year of 2021. Let’s keep reading!

READ MORE: Viettonkin Consulting service to help you build successful remote working culture

Overview of Remote-first Company

Remote-first is a strategy that makes working remotely the primary option for most or all employees. In addition, remote-first means that few people (if any) regularly require to perform their jobs from a centralized office. The employees can work from another location, such as a home office or co-working space.

This might be not a brand new approach, but remote-first began receiving a lot more attention because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many companies to adapt their business operations to start working from home.

In a remote-first workplace, working outside of a main workspace or corporate office is the default mode of working rather than an exceptional occasional practice. Nonetheless, it makes things different from a remote-friendly company. 

In a remote-friendly company, it enables some employees to work outside the office for various reasons, but it still conducts most of its daily operations in person. A remote-friendly company might allow employees to work remotely a certain number of days a week, or hire remote staff for specific job roles, but this is not the company's primary mode of working.

For instance, in a remote-friendly environment, a person working from home one day per week might join a conference room where most of the other employees are meeting face-to-face. 

Conversely, remote-first companies operate a physical workplace of some kind, which is available to employees who need or prefer a traditional office space rather than a home. The majority of people in a remote team work most often from home or another location outside the corporate offices.

These remote-first companies culture establish remote work as the norm rather than something approved for only in certain circumstances. The number of companies that plan to become remote-first on a permanent basis are growing, because they realize the benefits of shifting to a work-from-home model during the COVID-19 crisis.

Tips to Build a Safe Culture of Remote Working in Singapore 2021

Tips to Build a Safe Remote first Company in Singapore

There are some tips to create a safe remote-first company in Singapore, especially the year of 2021. The tips indeed ensure the remote-first transition is seamless for everyone involved in the company. Thus, these are the tips for you to understand:

1. Do Your Homework

It might be a little complicated to switch from in-office to remote-first work, but it is possible to do. Therefore, you must have a solid game plan for how to transition your company to remote-first life. It includes all the details about how and when you plan to make this happen.

If your rent prices push you out of your office lease and you know you would not renew it, then you need to have a firm starting date for your official remote transition. You will also want to have a list of what each employee needs to do their job effectively out of the office.

You also need to consider things, such as “will you be providing employees with a remote work setup? Like a computer, internet stipend, and office chair?”

However, this is the time to start researching tools the most successful remote companies use for your teams as well.

2. Do Invest In The Right Remote Work Tools and Software

Communication and project tools may seem like an added cost, but they are worth the investment. They ensure that everyone on your team knows what is going on and can easily reach out to each other if something comes up.

Communication tools like Slack, Twist and Help Scout make great choices for staying in touch with remote team members and customers alike.

Project management tools like Trello, Basecamp and Asana also help show your team what is going on and when milestones or projects are due, which keeps everyone in the loop and accountable.

In addition, you can be more open to try out a few options to see which are really worth the investment and which are wasting money.

3. Don’t Rework Your Company Policy; Have a Remote Working Policy in Place

You should create a remote working policy, before you make the transition. This document outlines your policies, sets expectations, and creates a standard of fairness that everyone must comply.

It will give your team a sneak-peek into what they can expect once you turn remote-first. They need to use the list of all tools, such as Slack or Trello, so they know exactly how to manage their projects and stay in touch despite working remotely.

It is great for helping people see that the transition will not be so alarming, especially since there is a plan in place.

4. Don’t Keep It a Secret Until The Last Minute

Once you have the details worked out, the formalities taken care of and have a remote working policies in place, you should tell your employees that the company is planning to be a remote-first. 

Though, keep it in mind that remote work might not be for everyone. You will likely find that some team members may not want to switch to this way of working.

If you wait until the transition is started, then someone decides to back out, you will be left contending to hire someone last-minute while you go through the turmoil of transitioning. It will be going to stress you out towards the situation.

Hence, you must give your team a heads up by holding a meeting to address your plan, what everyone can expect, and how this would affect them moving forward. Let your team know that they should think about whether this is a good fit for them or not. Lastly, encourage them to let you know if it is not as soon as possible.

5. Do Consider Hiring Remote Employees for Remote Working in Singapore

You should examine to hire people who have experience in the virtual workplace and actually prefer remote working. As they would not need to go through a transition, and they might help guide your in-office team members on their remote-first journey.

Additionally, post your job advertisement on We Work Remotely, and you will have applicants from all over the world with the skills and experience you are looking for.

These tips are important for those who are in transition from an in-office company into the remote-first company. Since the idea might be a little shocking for most of your employees, but this actually might be working best for your employees and your company. In conclusion, despite the hassle, you would want to consider the tips to build a safe remote-first company in Singapore in the year of 2021.

When the foreign company has gone through all the legal procedures to complete their business set up in Vietnam, but it still has to deal with the next hurdle of hiring staff and the payroll obligations. These both can be confusing processes, yet the knowledge of HR regulations in Vietnam is also important. Therefore, this article offers information about HR compliance in the country, especially for foreign investors. Let’s read until its end!

READ MORE: Viettonkin Consulting HR service to help you with the HR compliance in Vietnam

HR Compliance Trends in Vietnam

In these recent years, Vietnam has become an attractive place for all businesses. The country also has a fast-growing consumer class, a young and dynamic workforce to build its skillset. Another fact to add, Vietnam’s labor force is growing by more than one million people per year.

There are a number of important HR compliance trends in Vietnam, and the hottest hiring areas are sales, IT & Software, and marketing. Speaking about salary, the labor costs in Vietnam are still low, but wages are steadily increasing. Over these past five years, the increasing salary has come without a corresponding increase in productivity. The associated costs of employing staff in Vietnam are the country’s comparatively high social contribution and income tax rates.

Finding highly skilled employees is rather difficult due to the developing nature of the workforce in Vietnam. Technology and banking are the industries that face severe skills and talent shortages.

Nonetheless, many international companies which are in partnership with the Vietnamese government, are sponsoring training programs to ensure that there will be a growing number of highly skilled employees. For instance, ANZ is looking to attract Vietnamese expatriates back to the country since they have a higher skills set.

Today, the country’s workforce related to HR compliance has continued to grow and it results in a rise in competition within the job market. Additionally, it has increased the rates of turnover at many companies as employees are often shopping their skills around to other potential employers. Fact, it is unusual to see applicants who have worked at a lot of companies over a short span of time.

HR Compliance Workforce in Vietnam

In recent years, the number of foreign workers coming to Vietnam has steadily increased as it surges over 77.000. The huge majority of these workers are employees of foreign contractors, working for, or establishing, and FDI projects. There are things related to hiring and payroll workforce or all about HR compliance you need to understand. 

1. Employment Contracts

A Vietnamese entity is necessary to recruit foreigners to work as managers, executive directors, experts, and skilled labor where local candidates may not meet the business or production requirements. However, it is important to note that in some other Asian countries, such as Vietnamese representative offices are able to hire staff directly.

The company requires to get approval for the employment of foreign workers in each position before the official recruitment. The approval is around 30 to 40 days from the date of application by the President of The People’s Committee of the province. It also includes the work permit, which you need to submit no later than 15 working days before the foreign workers begin to work in Vietnam.

2. Minimum Statutory Employment Rights

Here are the following list of employment rights:

In general, employees shall not work more than 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week. Employees who work in a difficult, harsh or hazard condition are not permitted to work more than 6 hours a day. Employees have the right to an hour break each work day. Lastly, employees may work night shifts between the hours of 10pm and 6am.

Employees with definite and indefinite contracts may be essential on probation at the beginning of their job. The length of probation period depends on the position an employee is employed for and the required qualification. Probation period for employees in the intermediate level is 30 days. Then, employees that require a college level technical or professional may get up to 60 days. However, employees with seasonal contracts of less than one year cannot be on probation.

All employees who have worked a minimum of one year in the company should have annual paid leave. Employers must give them 12 days leave if they work in a normal working environment, 14 days leave if they work in difficult, harsh or hazard working conditions, and 16 days in case of extreme difficult working conditions. Lastly, employees are entitled to an extra one-day annual leave for each 5 completed years of work.

A female employee is entitled to 4 -6 months of paid maternity leave plus 5 pre-natal check-ups, one day or two days per check-up depending on one specific factor. Employees who have multiple births are entitled to an added one month leave for each child. Maternity benefit is paid to employees who have made payment to the Social Insurance Fund of a minimum of 6 months out of the 12 months preceding the leave.

Employees must be given 30 days’ sick leave a year if their total contribution period to the social insurance is not up to 15 years, 40 days’ sick leave a year if their total period of contribution is between 15 and 30 years, and 60 days sick a year if they have made payment to the system for a period of 30 years or more. These conditions only apply to employees who work under normal working conditions.

The maximum overtime an employee can work during any given working time is 4 hours a day, 30 hours per month, 200 or 300 hours per month. For every overtime worked employees are entitled to be reimbursed at a premium pay, such as 150% of base pay if worked at the normal workday, 180% of base pay if work during night shift, 200% of base pay if worked over the weekend, and 300% of base if worked on holiday.

3. The Minimum Wages

Wages vary depending on the location of employment and the type of skills, also experience to complete the work. There are two kinds of minimum wages. The first one is the common minimum wage of VND1.150.000 or US$55 which is used to calculate salaries for employees in state-owned organizations and enterprises. The second one is for employees in all non-state enterprises based on zones as defined by the government. 

This HR compliance is needed when you start hiring staff for your new business. Remember, you must go through all the processes and regulations in setting up the business, then you can find the talented young people who will contribute to your company. In conclusion, these are the conditions that you have to discern in order to hire employees. Plus, you need to keep an eye out on their needs, or else your recruitment will not come to a success. 

Singapore is a promising country to live and work, as the country ranks second as the most globalized economy in the world. The global competitiveness report 2014-2015 named Singapore as the world’s second prospering economy.

You may ask questions about why Singapore is so popular for getting a job, because it has high wages, low unemployment rate, excellent work conditions, and nourishing business development and also an investment climate. It also made the country competitive as the set of institutions, policies, and factors that determine the level of its productivity.

As the economy is booming, Singapore companies are eager to acquire overseas specialists, offering top salaries, good benefits packages to attract highly-skilled workers and talents. For example, with a median salary of S$3.500 per month, software engineers can earn up to S$72.000 annually, although general practitioners usually receive around S$80.000 per year.

The businesses in Singapore offer their employees a variety of benefits, such as transport, health care, retirement, disability, education, and childcare schemes. You can even have flexible benefits, which allow you to trade off salary for benefits and the other way around.

The career opportunities in Singapore are much evolving, that is why many foreigners are in job hunting there. The diversity of industries in the country also means there are a million possibilities for employees across a wide variety of sectors and levels of seniority.

One thing that you need to remember is after securing a job offer in Singapore, you need to obtain a work permit. It is relatively straightforward and can be completed online. The work permits are also issued for entrepreneurs wishing to start their own businesses. 

In this article, you will find the information about the requirements that you need to prepare, and the steps to get a work permit in Singapore. Let’s read the article until its end!

The Requirements For Work Permit in Singapore

Both employers and workers have to comply with the Conditions of Work Permits. If you are an employer and you want to employ foreign workers, you must meet the following requirements:

If you are a foreign worker, you must meet the following requirements:

Apply for a Work Permit in Singapore

How to get work permit in Singapore

Generally, the one who applies for a work permit in Singapore is the employer, so we will give the information below for those who hire foreign workers. But, it’s not limited to employers too, as a foreign worker you can understand how to get a work permit and prepare everything. Below are the steps for applying:

1. Submit a Work Permit Application

2. Prepare For Worker’s Arrival

3. Get The Work Permit Issued

4. Register Fingerprints and Photo

5. Receive The Card

Getting a work permit in Singapore might be easy, as long as you fulfil the requirements and have your documents well-prepared. If not, it would be taking a longer time than you expect and might end up in rejection as well. However, if you are a foreign worker and need to get a work permit in Singapore, you can contact us below. Viettonkin will always assist you!

This article focuses on getting a Resident Card or well known as Permanent Resident in Singapore. It may be useful for those who are planning to stay in Singapore for a long term. Let’s keep reading the article!

General Information About Resident Card in Singapore

Singapore has a population of approximately 4.7 million and currently ranked the 5th least corrupt country in the world. Also, the country is highly interested in acquiring new residence and skilled labour to boost its economy.

The government is well known for conducting open and fair policy towards constantly introducing new laws, tax relieves and regulations to enhance the countries’ business environment even more.

It is no surprise that many people are pursuing their dream jobs in the country, as it becomes the safest country, fair regulations, and very competitive salaries.

Before staying and working in Singapore for a long time, you will need a Permanent Residence (PR). It will enable foreign employees and entrepreneurs to stay in the country indefinitely, so you can have the perks and benefits that Singaporean citizens have.

Once you obtain a Singapore PR, you will be given a Blue Card which serves as an identity document. You can live, enter and leave Singapore without applying for a separate visa to travel or work.

The other benefit of having a PR is you can have the opportunity to change jobs without having to re-apply for a Singapore work permit. Being a Singapore PR can be provided financial and tax benefit through the country’s Central Provident Fund or known as CPF.

In addition, Singapore PRs have better chances of getting various loans approved, such as housing loans. They are also eligible to purchase second-hand units of government HDB flats. After a certain number of years, Singapore PRs are qualified to apply for full Singaporean citizenship and have the same rights as locally-born citizens.

If you are interested in getting a resident card or well known as PR in Singapore, it’s better to keep reading the article, because you will be given information about the types of PR schemes, the requirements, the documents that you need to prepare, and fee!

The Types of Permanent Resident

In this part, we will let you know about there are 3 types schemes to obtain a PR in Singapore:

Scheme 1 : Foreign Professionals, Technicians, and Skilled Workers.

This scheme suits for individuals who are currently working in Singapore for a certain period of time. The longer a foreigner has worked and contributed to the Singapore economy, the better it looks on paper when an application is sent for processing. 

Therefore, when the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) assesses you for your candidacy, it will be based on your personal and professional merits you have acquired and built over the years while working in Singapore.

If you are a professional worker, and currently holding an Employment Pass or S Pass and planning to apply for a PR visa in the future, you need to plan and build an excellent employment profile.

Scheme 2: Investors or Global Investor Programme.

This suits for foreign investors who are willing to invest at least S$2.5 million into a new Singaporean business start up, existing business, or a GIP-approved fund. The entrepreneurs are required to have a good entrepreneurial background, a good track record of your business, and an investment plan prepared.

Scheme 3: Foreign Artist with an Effort to Become More of an Artistic Hub in Southeast Asia.

The government has created a special scheme for foreign artists who want to move to Singapore. The scheme helps professionals who are working in the arts, music, dance, photography industries. Those who work in the literature, theatre or cinematography specialization can also move to the country.

Artists who wish to apply for this scheme should take a note that their only requirement is that they should be fairly established internationally.

The Requirements To Apply Permanent Resident Card

How to get resident card in Singapore

There are some requirements for you to apply for a PR in Singapore, so you can enjoy the benefits as the locals have. As a foreigner, you may be eligible to apply a Singapore PR if you are:

When applying for a Singaporean PR, you will also need to prepare the supporting documents. You can read through the notes below and it depends on your status right now!

If you are a foreign investor in Singapore, you can apply for PR at the Singapore Economic Development Board under the Global Investor Programme.

After providing the required documents, you need to pay a $100 non-refundable processing fee for each applicant at the point of submission of the PR application. If your application is successful, you need to pay the following fees, such as:

In general, the processing time for a PR application if it's submitted with the correct documents, is 4 to 6 months. However, some applications may take longer to process.

Getting a Resident Card or Permanent Resident in Singapore is difficult, but it’s possible to have one and enjoy the benefits that will be granted to you. As long as you have enough time to prepare everything, you will be alright! If you have any unsure things, you can contact us below as Viettonkin will always help you!

Unlock Vietnam's Market: Download Our Comprehensive FDI eBook Now!

Vietnam is emerging as a prime destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), driven by rapid economic growth, favorable government policies, and an investor-friendly business environment. This eBook provides a deep dive into Vietnam’s economic landscape, highlighting key industries such as manufacturing, real estate, and digital banking that attract FDI. It also explores the government’s proactive measures to streamline investment procedures, improve infrastructure, and offer tax incentives for foreign enterprises. Additionally, it covers crucial insights into market entry strategies, regulatory requirements, and socio-cultural factors that influence business success in Vietnam.


Download the eBook now to gain expert insights into successfully navigating Vietnam’s dynamic investment landscape!

Download EBOOK
Unlock Vietnam's Market: Download Our Comprehensive FDI eBook Now!

Vietnam is emerging as a prime destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), driven by rapid economic growth, favorable government policies, and an investor-friendly business environment. This eBook provides a deep dive into Vietnam’s economic landscape, highlighting key industries such as manufacturing, real estate, and digital banking that attract FDI. It also explores the government’s proactive measures to streamline investment procedures, improve infrastructure, and offer tax incentives for foreign enterprises. Additionally, it covers crucial insights into market entry strategies, regulatory requirements, and socio-cultural factors that influence business success in Vietnam.


Download the eBook now to gain expert insights into successfully navigating Vietnam’s dynamic investment landscape!

Download E-Book

About Us

Founded in 2009, Viettonkin Consulting is a multi-disciplinary group of consulting firms headquartered in Hanoi, Vietnam with offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong and a strong presence through strategic alliances throughout Southeast Asia. Our firm’s guiding mission is aimed towards facilitating intra-ASEAN investments and connecting investors in Southeast Asia with the rest of the world, thus promoting international business relationships and strengthening inter-nation connections.
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