Guide · Workplace rules
Workplace rules and discipline in Vietnam.
When workplace rules must be registered, the only four disciplinary measures the law allows, and the process that makes them lawful.
Updated 22 October 2026 · General information, not legal or tax advice
Short answer
What are internal labour regulations, and how does discipline work?
Every employer in Vietnam with 10 or more employees must issue written internal labour regulations — the workplace rules — and register them with the provincial labour authority within 10 days of issuing them; they take effect 15 days after the authority receives a complete dossier. Employers with fewer than 10 employees set their rules in the labour contracts. The regulations matter because discipline is only lawful for conduct they define as a breach, and the Labour Code allows just four disciplinary measures: reprimand, deferring a pay rise for up to six months, demotion and dismissal. Fining an employee or docking wages as punishment is prohibited, and every disciplinary step must follow a documented meeting with the employee present.
Four measures
The only disciplinary measures allowed.
| Measure | Used for |
|---|---|
| Reprimand | Minor breaches set out in the regulations |
| Deferral of pay rise, up to six months | Breaches the regulations rank as more serious |
| Demotion | Breaches the regulations rank as serious |
| Dismissal | Only the grounds listed in Article 125 |
Dismissal is allowed only for listed grounds, such as theft, embezzlement, gambling, violence or drug use at work; disclosing business or technology secrets; sexual harassment as defined in the regulations; a repeat breach while a pay-rise deferral or demotion is still running; or five days' unexcused absence in 30 days or 20 days in a year.
Process
What makes discipline lawful.
- The conduct is a breach under the registered regulations or the labour contract.
- The employer proves the breach.
- A disciplinary meeting is held with the employee present and, where one exists, the employee-representative organisation; the employee may bring a lawyer or other representative.
- The meeting is minuted and signed.
- The decision is made within the time limit: six months from the breach, or 12 months for breaches involving finance, assets or business secrets.
- No discipline during sick leave, agreed leave, pregnancy, maternity leave or while raising a child under 12 months.
With an EOR, these obligations belong to the employing company: Nhân Kiệt's registered regulations apply to the employees we hire for you.
Source: Labour Code 2019, Articles 117–125; Decree 145/2020/ND-CP.
Questions
Workplace rules and discipline: frequently asked questions
Do all employers in Vietnam need internal labour regulations?
Employers with 10 or more employees must issue written regulations and register them. Smaller employers set the rules in their labour contracts.
Can an employer in Vietnam fine an employee?
No. Fines and wage deductions as punishment are prohibited. Only reprimand, pay-rise deferral, demotion and dismissal are allowed.
How long does an employer have to discipline an employee?
Six months from the breach, or 12 months for breaches involving finance, assets or business secrets.
Who handles discipline when employees are hired through an EOR?
The EOR, as the legal employer, under its own registered regulations. The client reports the issue and the EOR runs the lawful process.
Hiring in Vietnam? We handle all of this as your employer.
Nhân Kiệt employs your team, runs payroll, insurance, tax and work permits. Fee: US$99–199 per employee a month, plus VAT.
Request a quote