The invisible pressure of "stability"
Born in 1990, Mr. Nguyen Duc Bang (residing in Phu Tho) was once considered by his family to be a proud proud proud district civil servant right after graduating from university.
"My monthly income is more than 8 million VND, not including allowances, not high but stable and enough to cope with life in the countryside. But the problem is not money, but the feeling of being held back, doing nothing to break through" - Mr. Bang said.
He shared that every morning at work, he felt like he was living a life repeated: Signing documents, preparing reports, meeting, and then signing again. The peak was the time when he had to work part-time without a name, while his income remained almost unchanged. Official tasks that arise after work, even in the evening or on weekends, become normal.
"At that time, I felt I didn't have time to develop myself. On the outside, everyone thinks they have a job with a stable salary. But the feeling of gradually being eroded with the salary of 8 million VND, 3 years of increasing by 1 level is only understood by me" - he shared.
After knowing information about the merger and streamlining of the apparatus, he decided to write a resignation letter to switch to freelance work.
Ms. Tran Thuy Lan (Bac Giang) - an accountant at a public primary school, showed that financial pressure, procedures, and responsibilities are being put on the administrative work team at the school.
She has been an accountant for nearly 9 years. Her monthly income ranges from 7.5 - 8 million VND, not enough to raise her two young children.
"The most pressured thing is the procedure. From the smallest shopping budget to paying salaries and allowances, all documents must comply with regulations, correct forms, and complete procedures.
Just a small mistake can lead to a series of explanations. During the year-end settlement period, I have to work until 10-11 am every day" - she confided.
During her second child leave, she signed up for a business accounting course and took additional work as a bookkeeper for a few companies. She realized that she could open her own tax accounting service for micro-enterprises and business households - a market that is growing strongly.
6 months later, she submitted her resignation letter. Many colleagues and families were surprised, but she herself clearly saw that if she stayed, she would have no chance to expand her career and increase her income.
Special attention is paid to retaining and attracting talented people
Speaking with Lao Dong reporter, Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Van Sao - former Principal of the Trade Union University - acknowledged the shortage of talented people in many agencies and units in the public sector, showing that this area is not really attractive to attract and attract workers with qualifications and enthusiasm, attached to work and agencies and organizations.
In other words, policies on arrangement, use, creating environment, working conditions; work evaluating work performance results, especially policies on remuneration, timely encouragement in terms of material and spiritual aspects have not created motivation to attract and retain them.
According to him, for talented people working in the public sector, in addition to caring about wages, income, improving their lives and that of their families, they also care about the environment, working conditions to assert themselves in the collective and society; opportunities for promotion and career development.
"Stable salaries and incomes but poor working environment and conditions, talented people are not respected, are not given conditions to promote their talents, do not have conditions for career development and promotion opportunities, so they are not attached to agencies and organizations" - Associate Professor, Dr. Duong Van Sao shared.
The expert said that special attention should be paid to the mechanism of attracting and retaining talented people such as: Regulations on recruitment, arrangement, use, environmental creation, working conditions for civil servants; attention should be paid to evaluating the results of work.
Training, fostering, developing expertise and profession and appointment and promotion mechanisms; especially paying attention to treatment, encouragement, material and spiritual rewards, and discipline of cadres, civil servants, and public employees
