Running a compliant workforce in Vietnam takes more than hiring people. Employment contracts, internal labour regulations, leave, discipline, offboarding — each has legal requirements under the 2019 Labour Code. Forra handles all of it, so your team can focus on the business.
In Vietnam, the employment relationship isn't just a contract between employer and employee — it's regulated in detail by the Labour Code, the Labour Authority's circulars, and social insurance law. Companies that set up quickly and focus on operations often accumulate HR compliance gaps without realising it: unsigned probation clauses, missing internal labour regulations, undocumented leave balances, or termination procedures that expose the company to claims.
Forra's HR Administration service manages the full administrative HR function for your Vietnam entity — from drafting legally compliant employment contracts on day one through to managing disciplinary procedures and finalising departure documentation when an employee leaves.
HR Administration can be taken as part of an Employer of Record or payroll engagement, or commissioned independently for companies that have their own entity and payroll function but want their HR documentation and compliance properly managed.
Forra's HR Administration covers the full lifecycle of employment in Vietnam — from the documentation required before an employee's first day through to the statutory filings required after their last. All deliverables are produced in bilingual Vietnamese/English format as required by the Labour Code.
Vietnam's 2019 Labour Code and its implementing decrees create ongoing, event-triggered, and annual obligations for every employer. Missing any of these creates exposure ranging from administrative penalties to employee claims for unlawful dismissal. Forra tracks all of them on your behalf.
Forra takes over your HR administration from the point of engagement. For existing entities, we start with a documentation audit to find gaps; for new entities or first hires, we build the full HR framework from scratch.
For entities with existing employees, Forra reviews all current contracts, ILR (if any), personnel files, and leave records. We identify gaps, non-compliant clauses, and missing registrations, and give you a prioritised remediation list before taking over ongoing management.
We draft your standard contract templates — fixed-term, indefinite-term, probation, and foreign national variants — along with your Internal Labour Regulations. These are reviewed with you, finalised, and where required, registered with the Labour Authority before being issued to employees.
Forra creates and maintains a personnel file for each employee, covering signed contracts, social insurance registration, tax registration, leave entitlement, and any disciplinary records. Files are maintained securely and available to you at any time.
From engagement, Forra handles all routine and event-triggered HR tasks: onboarding, contract renewals, leave tracking, disciplinary documentation, and social insurance updates. We proactively flag upcoming deadlines — contract expiry, renewal notice windows, regulatory changes — without waiting for you to ask.
Forra produces a monthly HR summary covering headcount, leave balances, upcoming contract events, and open matters. We also handle all statutory HR filings — including the semi-annual labour use report to the Labour Authority — and alert you to any legislative changes affecting your employment arrangements.
For most foreign-invested companies, HR administration is handled by a finance manager, an executive assistant, or the legal representative — none of whom typically have specialist Labour Code knowledge. The result is documentation that looks complete but contains gaps that only surface when a dispute arises or an authority inspects.
Run through this list. If any item is unclear or missing, Forra can identify and resolve the gaps as part of an initial HR audit — before taking over ongoing management.
The legal obligation to register ILR with the Authority applies to entities with 10 or more employees. However, even for smaller entities, having a documented internal policy on working hours, leave, conduct, and disciplinary procedures is strongly recommended — it is the foundation for any disciplinary action and is typically requested during any authority inspection.
Forra drafts ILR for all clients regardless of headcount. For entities under 10 employees, we produce a company policy document that serves the same practical function without the formal registration requirement.
Under the 2019 Labour Code, if a fixed-term contract expires and the employer does not issue a renewal notice at least 30 days before expiry, the contract is treated as having been automatically renewed for the same term. If the employee continues working without a new contract being signed within 30 days after expiry, the contract becomes indefinite-term — with all the protections and notice requirements that come with it.
This is one of the most common and costly HR compliance gaps Forra finds during initial audits. Forra tracks all fixed-term expiry dates and issues renewal notices automatically within the required window.
Yes, but the process is procedurally strict. Vietnam's Labour Code does not have at-will employment. For performance-based termination, the employer must demonstrate that the employee has failed to complete the tasks assigned in the employment contract, typically after a documented performance review process aligned with the Internal Labour Regulations.
For disciplinary dismissal, a formal procedure including a disciplinary hearing, written notices, and decision within statutory timeframes is required. Errors in any step of the procedure — even substantively justified dismissals — can result in the termination being declared unlawful, triggering reinstatement or compensation orders. Forra advises on the correct procedure and prepares all documentation before any disciplinary action is taken.
The minimum annual leave entitlement under the 2019 Labour Code is 12 working days per year for employees working normal conditions. This increases to 14 days for employees doing heavy, hazardous, or dangerous work, and to 16 days for employees working in exceptionally hazardous or dangerous conditions or with disabilities.
Additionally, employees receive 1 additional day of annual leave for every 5 years of service with the same employer. Public holidays (currently 11 per year) are separate and in addition to annual leave. Forra tracks all leave entitlements, calculates accruals correctly, and manages the annual leave schedule as required by law.
Yes. HR Administration can be taken as a standalone service for companies that already have payroll managed internally or through another provider. Forra handles the documentation, compliance, and records management side; your existing payroll process continues unchanged.
That said, Forra's HR Administration integrates naturally with Forra Payroll — leave balances flow directly into payroll calculations, contract amendments are reflected immediately in payroll records, and social insurance registrations are handled in one place. Companies that take both services typically find the coordination benefit significant.
For the initial HR audit and setup, Forra will ask for:
If some of these don't exist or are incomplete, that's normal — identifying and resolving those gaps is exactly what the initial audit is for.
Book a free call with a Forra HR advisor. We'll review your current setup, identify any gaps, and give you a clear, fixed-fee proposal within one business day.