4 years staying to work overtime during New Year's Eve
Mr. Thieu Van Duong (from Thach Thanh district, Thanh Hoa) is an employee at a restaurant in Cau Giay district (Hanoi). According to Mr. Duong, for the past 4 years he has not returned to his hometown for the New Year holiday but has stayed in the city to work extra. “The New Year holiday is short and close to the Lunar New Year holiday, so I did not return to my hometown. Staying to work these days, in addition to being paid double the usual salary, we also receive lucky money from the restaurant owner and customers, which means our income is 3 times higher than usual,” said Mr. Duong.
According to Mr. Duong, if he doesn't go home for New Year's holiday, he can earn an extra million dong, and at the same time save a million dong on transportation and gifts if he goes home.
Mr. Tran Ngoc Phu, who works for a household appliances company based in Thanh Xuan district, also decided not to return to his hometown for New Year's Eve, even though his house is in Soc Son district (Hanoi).
“My company gives one day off for New Year’s Eve, encourages staff to work and gives them an additional bonus in addition to their salary for working during the holidays. I signed up right away because I usually go home on weekends, and this time I can go to work to help my colleagues who are busy with family or want to go home,” said Mr. Phu.
According to Mr. Phu, he has stayed to work overtime for 2 years during the New Year. "Including overtime pay and company bonuses, 1 day of overtime is equal to almost 1 week of normal work" - Mr. Phu calculated.
No disadvantaged workers
For many students, finding a part-time job during the New Year is quite simple. Tran Minh Ngoc is a second-year student at Hanoi University. During the New Year, Ngoc did not return to her hometown in Nam Dinh but applied for a part-time job at a souvenir shop.
“My job is to pack gifts for customers who buy at the shop and pack them for shipping orders. When I was hired, I was instructed on how to wrap gifts and choose the appropriate wrapping paper for each type of gift. My total overtime pay during Tet and New Year was more than 6 million VND,” Ngoc said.
The New Year holiday is close to the Lunar New Year, which is also the reason why Chu Bao Ngoc, a student at the Cryptography Academy (Ha Dong, Hanoi), did not return to his hometown in Hai Duong. On this occasion, Ngoc applied for a part-time job at a restaurant only 700m from the school.
“My job is to be a waiter, taking notes on the dishes ordered by customers, reporting to the kitchen and serving when the food is ready. The job requires careful note-taking of the correct dishes ordered by customers, and enthusiastic service. During the extra work from New Year’s Day to before the Lunar New Year holiday, I earned nearly 7 million VND,” Ngoc said.
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hai is currently a culinary lecturer at the Hanoi College of Commerce and Tourism, a culinary expert, and the owner of many restaurants and eateries in the capital. This New Year's Eve, Mr. Hai's eateries are open as usual, meaning all employees stay at work.
"I pay my workers double the usual wage during the Tet holiday, so everyone who stays to work is excited and happy," said Mr. Hai.
