Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training has introduced a 40-hour working week for higher education support staff under new rules covering job requirements, working hours, appointments and salaries.
Circular issued on 22 October 2026, sets out requirements for teaching assistants, researchers and teaching support staff.
It aims to help universities assign duties based on employees’ qualifications, improve staff training and manage working hours more clearly.
The rules also allow universities to arrange work schedules according to staff responsibilities and the needs of teaching and research.
Working hours
Under the circular, higher education support staff must work 40 hours per week.
Universities can arrange schedules based on the nature of the work and their operational needs.
Heads of higher education institutions will decide how working hours are allocated, taking into account academic programmes, research activities and other work requirements.
Leave must follow the law and be arranged without affecting assigned duties.
The rules also limit overtime in line with labour laws and require employees to receive overtime pay as prescribed.
For universities, this provides a common standard for working hours while allowing flexibility in daily schedules.
For employees, the rules clarify expectations around working time, leave and overtime pay.
Clearer job roles
The circular sets out the qualifications, skills and duties required for three groups of staff: teaching assistants, researchers and teaching support personnel.
By clearly defining each role, the rules aim to help universities assign work that matches employees’ qualifications and experience.
This could also reduce situations where staff are given duties that do not match their skills.
The rules distinguish between civil servants and other employees.
Private higher education institutions must follow their own rules on recruitment, salaries, allowances and additional payments, while complying with the law.
Digital skills
The new rules include requirements for using information technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and foreign languages across all three staff groups.
This means universities will need to consider whether their staff have the skills required for their roles.
Where gaps exist, institutions may need to provide training to help employees meet the new standards.
The requirements also reflect the growing use of digital tools in teaching, research and university administration.
Salary changes
The circular includes specific provisions for teaching assistants appointed before 1 January 2026.
These employees will retain their existing allowances until 31 December 2026.
During this period, universities must review their salary grades and allowances and adjust them to match their job positions under the new rules.
Staff who were recruited or hired under contracts before the circular takes effect may continue working even if they do not yet meet all the new requirements.
Universities must arrange training and professional development to help them meet the standards.
This gives institutions time to review staff qualifications and update salary arrangements, while allowing affected employees to continue in their roles.
Impact on staff
The new rules give universities a clearer framework for setting working hours, assigning duties and deciding salaries and allowances.
They also place greater emphasis on staff skills and training.
For employees, the 40-hour working week and overtime payment rules clarify expectations around working time and compensation.
For universities, the main task will be to put the requirements into practice while managing the different needs of teaching, research and support teams.
The changes aim to make staff management more consistent across higher education, with job responsibilities and training linked more closely to the needs of each institution.