Legal advisory for labor matters is one of the most frequent needs for foreign employers in Vietnam, from drafting compliant employment contracts to defending against labor disputes.

Our legal advisory for labor and HR practice covers the full employment lifecycle, and clients rely on this legal advisory for labor service whenever internal regulations or restructuring plans need a compliance review.

IVLF ADVISORS LLC

Practice Area

Labor Law Advisory Vietnam: Labor & HR Legal Services

In the modern business environment, human resource management is not only an economic challenge but also a complex legal one. For a business to develop sustainably, it requires a solid legal foundation to manage human resources, from recruitment and contract signing to procedures related to foreign labor. Our labor and HR legal advisory practice keeps employers compliant and disputes rare.

Why is labor management the backbone of a business?

HR management is not just about managing people; it is about managing compliance. The constant evolution of labor laws, combined with strict regulations regarding the employment of foreign workers, creates significant pressure on businesses. Minor errors in contract drafting or omissions in immigration procedures can lead not only to administrative penalties but also to business disruption and a decline in corporate reputation.

Comprehensive labor and HR legal advisory solutions

Contracts and internal policies

Labor contracts: robust templates that protect the interests of the business while ensuring full compliance, with emphasis on Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) and Non-Compete Agreements (NCA)
Internal policy system: building, reviewing, and registering Internal Labor Regulations, Collective Labor Agreements, and internal regulations on salaries, bonuses, and allowances

Immigration services for foreigners (Visa, Work Permit, TRC)

Work Permit: advising on the demand explanation for foreign labor, completing dossiers, and representing the business in new issuance and renewals
Temporary Residence Card (TRC): long-term TRCs for professionals and their dependents
Vietnam Visa: entry dispatch, business visas, and investment visas with optimized waiting time

Labor dispute resolution and disciplinary handling

Legally compliant procedures for disciplinary dismissal, ensuring businesses are not countersued due to procedural errors
Representation before competent authorities or Courts in complex labor dispute cases

What ongoing legal advisory support includes

Most employers retain IVLF for monthly legal advisory support rather than one-off questions. The package covers employment contract templates in bilingual form, internal labor regulations registered with the authorities, disciplinary procedures that will survive challenge, and a hotline for the daily questions HR teams actually face – probation, overtime caps, allowances, reorganisations and terminations. When restructurings or collective disputes arise, the same lawyers who built your framework handle the negotiation, which shortens response times and keeps positions consistent. This continuity is the core value of a standing legal advisory relationship: your documents, practice and defence all come from one place.

The IVLF advantage

Proactive prevention: reviewing and cleaning legal risks within governance systems in advance
Solving difficult dossiers: Work Permit and TRC dossiers involving missing degrees, mismatched experience, or complex explanation procedures
Practical understanding of the working methods of local labor management agencies

Common employer questions we resolve

Can we extend probation twice? How do we lawfully restructure a department without triggering severance disputes? Which allowances must be included in the salary base for social insurance? When does a foreign employee qualify for a work permit exemption, and what happens if the permit lapses mid-contract? These are the questions our legal advisory hotline answers every week, in writing, with the legal basis cited so HR can file the answer and rely on it later. We also run annual labor compliance audits. The legal advisory team reviews contracts, payroll practice, social insurance declarations, overtime records and disciplinary files against current regulations, then delivers a red-amber-green report with fixes ranked by exposure. Employers use the audit before fundraising rounds, before M&A due diligence, and simply to sleep better. Most issues we find cost little to fix when caught early – and a great deal when discovered by an inspector or an opposing lawyer instead.

Transparent and speedy processing procedure

Reception & Assessment

Lawyers receive the dossier and advise on the most feasible plan.

Drafting & Finalization

Support drafting, translation, and consular legalization of necessary documents.

In-depth Execution

Representing the client before the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the Immigration Department.

Handover & Support

Continuous progress updates and handover of results on schedule.

Legal advisory updates: labour law 2025–2026 for employers

Social insurance – contribution groups and benefit calculations have been revised, so payroll and contracts should be reviewed
Trade union and employment rules – recent laws changed obligations for employers, including unemployment insurance coverage
Foreign staff – work permit conditions and procedures have been simplified, but timing and documentation still matter
Terminations and disciplinary action – procedures must be followed exactly to avoid reinstatement and compensation claims

Frequently asked questions

Is an internal labour regulation (ILR) mandatory?

Employers with 10 or more employees must issue and register an ILR. Without it, disciplinary action and dismissal are legally fragile.

How long does a work permit take in 2026?

Can we dismiss an employee for poor performance?

Only with documented evaluation criteria in registered internal rules and a correct procedure. We design the framework and manage the process to minimise dispute risk.

How do I terminate an employee lawfully in Vietnam?

Termination requires a valid ground, correct notice and a procedure that is followed exactly, otherwise reinstatement and compensation claims can follow. We prepare the file before action is taken.

What are the work permit options for foreign employees in Vietnam?

Options include a work permit, an exemption certificate or short-term assignment arrangements, depending on role and duration. We align the permit with the employment contract and residence status.

Labor law advisory Vietnam: what has changed in 2026

labor law advisory Vietnam - IVLF Advisors legal services

Recent changes to social insurance, trade union and employment rules affect payroll, contract templates and internal policies. Employers should review contribution groups, benefit calculations and unemployment insurance coverage, and align employment contracts and policies with the current framework. For foreign staff, the work permit process has been simplified, but timing and documentation still need careful handling.

Labor law advisory Vietnam: scope of support

Employment contracts Vietnam – employment contracts, probation, allowances, confidentiality and non-compete clauses
HR policies – internal labour regulations, disciplinary procedures and employee handbooks
Terminations and restructuring – termination procedures, redundancy, severance and labour dispute prevention
Social insurance and payroll – contribution compliance, benefits and payroll structure reviews
Foreign employees – work permits, secondments, residence cards and expatriate employment structuring
Executive incentives – ESOP, management retention and incentive plans
Employee equity plans – ESOP from a foreign parent company and management retention incentives
Foreign employee contracts – signing labour contracts with foreigners and employment and social insurance obligations

Official information: Vietnam Social Security.

Related Practice Areas

Foreign employers often ask us to review their labor documentation before an inspection. This legal advisory for labor review typically covers internal labor regulations, collective agreements and termination procedures, giving management a clear compliance picture before regulators raise questions.

When disputes arise, our legal advisory for labor team represents employers before labor conciliation councils and courts, drawing on the same playbook used in our legal advisory for labor compliance reviews so litigation strategy and day-to-day HR policy stay aligned.

Related Team