Working through Tet, holidays after Tet: New trends for young workers
Instead of taking Tet holidays as tradition, many young workers choose to work through Tet to increase income, and then take long days off after the holidays.
Long holiday after Tet: Reward yourself
During the Lunar New Year, strong consumer demand leads to increased labor demand. Many businesses are willing to pay salaries 2-3 times higher than usual for shifts on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days of Tet. This is the motivation that makes many young workers willing to put aside the atmosphere of family reunion to work.
Mr. Truong Ngo Viet Hung, from Thanh Hoa, a waiter at a Japanese restaurant in Hoan Kiem ward (Hanoi) said that he registered to work continuously for 7 Tet days. "Each day of Tet work earns the same income as a week of normal days. I decided to work my best for these days and then take a break after Tet," Mr. Hung shared.
According to Mr. Hung, this is not the first year he has registered to work during Tet. Entering university in 2024, he had 2 years without going home for Tet with his family because he chose to stay in Hanoi to work. Tet Nguyen Dan 2025, when he announced that he would stay to work and go home for Tet on the 6th, his parents strongly opposed it. However, after listening to him clearly analyze the bonus and welfare regimes, as well as sharing the university for students to take leave until after the full moon of the first lunar month, his parents agreed because he still had a long holiday with his family after the Tet holiday.
Tet Nguyen Dan 2025, after the Tet overtime period, I have a total income, bonuses, and lucky money from customers of 12 million VND. After returning home on the 5th day of Tet, I stayed with my parents until the 16th day of the first lunar month before going to school. This year's schedule is also basically the same," Mr. Hung said.
Ms. Nguyen Phan Linh, from Phu Tho province, a waitress at a restaurant in Hanoi, said that after working throughout Tet, she took nearly 10 days off after the full moon of the first lunar month. "I choose to work throughout Tet and go out after Tet because the cost is cheaper and there are fewer people. Not to mention, taking leave after Tet also reduces financial pressure because I already have money for extra Tet work," Ms. Linh said.
However, Ms. Linh admitted that although it brings economic benefits, working throughout Tet is not a suitable choice for everyone. "High work pressure, limited rest time during holidays easily make workers exhausted, especially for industries that have to work at high intensity. In addition, being away from family during Tet also leaves a certain mental gap... If you do not balance work and rest well, the consequence may be a decline in health, prolonged psychological fatigue after Tet," Ms. Linh shared.
Reflecting changes in labor thinking
The trend of working through Tet is gradually becoming popular in the service, retail, delivery, tourism, and restaurant-hotel industries, reflecting changes in working thinking and how young people balance income, time and personal experiences.
Mr. Hoang Van Anh - Human Resources Director of Phu Binh Group (Ngoc Ha ward, Hanoi) said that the trend of working through Tet and then taking long holidays after Tet shows a clear change in the thinking of young workers. Instead of being closely attached to the traditional holiday schedule, they are more flexible, considering Tet as a period of time that can "change" to income or other experiences.
This also poses new requirements for human resource management: more flexibility, more personalization and putting workers at the center. As the labor market becomes increasingly competitive, businesses that know how to adapt to this trend will have an advantage in attracting and retaining personnel," Mr. Van Anh assessed.
Sharing the same view, Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment said that working through Tet and taking long breaks after Tet is not only a personal choice, but is gradually becoming a trend reflecting the shift in the way young people perceive work, income and life. When managed reasonably, this trend can bring benefits to both workers and businesses in the context of an increasingly flexible job market.
From a business perspective, allowing young workers to work during Tet and then take compensatory leave after Tet helps solve the personnel problem during peak periods without having to recruit too many seasonal workers. This is especially suitable for industries with sudden increases in demand in a short period of time. In addition, this flexible approach also contributes to retaining workers after Tet - a time considered the "job hopping season". When feeling respected and proactively choosing, workers tend to be more attached instead of quitting their jobs completely.
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