News Viet Nam and EFTA Conclude FTA Negotiations after Nearly 14 Years: Implications for Businesses Exporting to These Markets? On 2 July 2026, Viet Nam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — officially announced the conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, opening a new gateway…
On 30 June 2026, the European Commission published the Forced Labour Single Portal together with a set of guidance materials to help businesses, authorities and other stakeholders prepare for the EU Forced Labour Regulation — the rule that bans products made with forced labour from entering the EU market.
From 1 July 2026, Decree No. 161/2026/NĐ-CP, which adjusts the base salary applicable to cadres, civil servants, public employees and the armed forces, officially takes effect. Although it does not apply directly to the private sector, the new base salary will trigger important changes to social insurance (SI) contribution and benefit levels that private-sector businesses and employees need to update in order to remain compliant.
Effective April 20, 2026, the regulatory framework governing sanctions for fire safety violations will undergo a comprehensive overhaul, imposing stricter compliance duties on businesses across all industries and scales.
The Programme aims to support private sector businesses — including enterprises, business households, and cooperatives — to grow with higher quality and efficiency, balancing economic performance with social responsibility and environmental protection.
There was a time when “doing good” was seen as a bonus — something a business might do once the profits rolled in. Donate to a local school, sponsor a community event, plant a few trees. Nice to have, but not essential. That time is passing fast, and Vietnamese businesses are feeling the shift.
In the context of increasing pressure on global supply chains regarding transparency and social responsibility, understanding Forced Labour has become a mandatory requirement for export-oriented companies.
The International Training Centre of the ILO (ILO ITC) offers a free e-learning course on Forced Labour. This is a self-paced online course, designed to help participants gain in-depth knowledge and apply it in business operations and supply chains.
The adoption of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) marks a significant regulatory shift from voluntary commitments to legally binding obligations for companies to identify, prevent, mitigate, and remediate adverse human rights and environmental impacts across their operations and value chains.
On February 9, 2026, the European Commission officially adopted new rules under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) aimed at preventing the destruction of unsold essential goods, particularly clothing, accessories, and footwear — one of the significant sources of resource waste and greenhouse gas emissions across the Union.
Location: Hanoi/ HCM City (with frequent travel to provinces)
Application Deadline: 01 May 2026
On February 3, 2026, the Ministry of Finance issued Circular No. 09/2026/TT-BTC regulating the creation and use of electronic social insurance books (SI) and electronic health insurance cards (HI) to replace paper versions.
The unemployment insurance contribution rate for workers with disabilities is reduced to 0% for the first 12 months from the date of new recruitment. This is one of the notable new provisions of the 2025 Employment Law and its implementing regulations, which take effect from 1 January 2026.
To guide the implementation of Law No. 69/2025/QH15, which took effect on 01 January 2026, a number of legal normative documents have been issued and have been effective since 17 January 2026
From 1 January 2026, the Law on Personal Data Protection No. 91/2025/QH15, together with Decree No. 356/2025/ND-CP guiding the implementation of the Law on Personal Data Protection, will officially take effect.
This publication offers a practical, plain-language guide to the essential concepts that shape today’s world of work. It explains the fundamental principles and rights at work, key terms commonly used in trade agreements and labour governance, as well as the labour dimensions of global supply chains.
The textile and footwear industries are labor-intensive sectors, where factory spaces are often cramped, while the need for lifting and transporting goods by forklift (such as fabric rolls, finished-goods pallets, and raw and auxiliary materials) occurs continuously. For this reason, forklifts become one of the major sources of serious occupational accident risks if they are not managed and controlled with strict safety measures.
Government Decree No. 337/2025/ND-CP, issued on 24 December 2025, is an important legal document detailing regulations on electronic labor contracts and officially takes effect from 01 January 2026. The Decree was promulgated to operationalize provisions of the Labor Code and the Law on Electronic Transactions, meeting the requirements of digital transformation in the labor and employment sector.
A culture of respect in the workplace is not only a matter of compliance or social responsibility, but also delivers clear business benefits: improved productivity, reduced absenteeism and workplace accidents, stronger employee retention, and a reinforced position within the global supply chain.
The “Business and Decent Work” course is a free, self-guided E-learning module developed by the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITCILO). It aims to provide foundational knowledge of the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) and to explore the relationship between business operations and decent work.
On the afternoon of December 22, at the Pullman Hotel (Hanoi), Dan Tri Newspaper successfully organized the Vietnam ESG Forum 2025 under the theme “Science, Technology, and Drivers for Sustainable Development.”
On November 10, 2025, the Government issued Decree No. 293/2025/NĐ-CP stipulating the monthly minimum wage and hourly minimum wage for employees working under labor contracts. This Decree replaces Decree No. 74/2024/NĐ-CP and takes effect from January 1, 2026. Below are the key updates that businesses should note. 1. Regional Minimum Wages for 2026 (Average Increase…
On 14 July 2023, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued Decision No. 843/QD-TTg on the “National Action Program to Improve Policies and Laws to Promote Responsible Business Practices in Vietnam for the 2023–2027 period.
CS3D (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) is EU Directive 2024/1760, which requires large enterprises to mandatorily conduct environmental, social, and human rights risk due diligence across their entire value chain, from internal operations to suppliers and certain business partners.
















