Vietnam’s leading recruiting firm Navigos Group and US law firm Russin & Vecchi jointly released the Vietnam Employment Manual on Sept. 8.

The manual is provided free of charge to help employers, especially those of foreign-invested businesses, to understand and apply the complex and often confusing labour regulations.

“We believe it’s an essential guide for any company operating in Vietnam or planning to start a business in Vietnam,” said Navigos Group Managing Director Nguyen Thi Van Anh and Russin & Vecchi Managing Lawyer Sesto Vecchi.

“Vietnamese labour law continues to develop,” said Anh, adding that however, some labour law regulations remain ambiguous. Understanding labour regulations and applying them correctly can help to avoid disputes and improve employee retention, she added.

According to a recent survey conducted by Navigos Group, almost 80 percent of more than 14,000 surveyed people asserted that they would not join a company if they know that company violates the labour law. Another survey revealed that 87 percent of over 8,000 surveyed people believe their company does not properly apply 100 percent labour laws. These findings indicate that compliance with labour laws should be taken into account in developing talent retention strategies.

Businesses failing to abide by labour laws, especially working hours and wages, have caused labour disputes and rising strikes.

The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs reported that there were 216 strikes nationwide last year and more than 200 cases in the first seven months of this year./.