Flexibility and security policies for elderly workers: a case study in Vietnam

Abstract

National policies in Vietnam show policy shifts towards active ageing and to improving flexibility and security in the labour market. The main question relates to the practice and the introduction of these macro policies at the workplace level is how an employer can combine greater flexibility for the organisation as well as work security for older workers. This paper presents the findings of a survey of wage paid elderly workers and human resource officer in Vietnam (Hanoi, Thaibinh, Ninhbinh) (n=39 companies and 428 elderly workers). A flexibility combining security approach for senior workers is most visible in the Vietnam workplaces because of a broader range of facilities such as phased retirement, flexible working hours, education and training, and wage flexible. The survey shows different strategies addressing the issue of older workers. The transport and telecom service sector favour for flexibility in recruitment. The education and health sector are still focused on a ‘relief’ strategy (adapting workload, tasks and working hours), while the construction industry favour and employability policy. Most of the workplace policies for senior workers show passivity in all items favours flexibility of the organisation, only small rate favour employment security for the workers.

Sustainable Employability: Drivers, Success Factors and Implications for Vietnam Context

“…Over the last periods, early retirement has been popular in the Vietnamese workforce; however, it was estimated that one-third of retirees would continue to work after retirement and tend to shift from wage-paid work to self-employment. Elderly employees might want to adjust their work life to more individual preferences -and, therefore, prefer a more flexible way to balance work, their health, and their family life (Doan & Ngo, 2020). In order to get longer working careers, more flexibility is needed in recruitment, employability, part-time retirement patterns of older employees, and so on.…”

Investigating female employees’ work-life balance practices under the Covid-19 pandemic

“…HRM practices are crucial to organisational outcomes (Dang, Thai, Vu, & Tran, 2018). Many authors have recognised that human resources management in private companies in Vietnam is still undeveloped (T. C. Le & Truong, 2005), and work-life balance policies (e.g., flexible working hours) are mostly unpopular in organisations, especially among senior Vietnamese employees (Doan & Ngo, 2020). Since female employees now are keen on more about their careers, organisations should consider policies to increase workers' and organisations' performance (Lazar, Osoian, & Ratiu, 2010).…”