Sustainable Health Development Center – VietHealth

Rules and Regulations

INTRODUCTION

VietHealth is a Sustainable Health Development Center in Viet Nam, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that operates in the field of community healthcare, focusing on primary healthcare, sexual and reproductive health, child and maternal health, disability identification and rehabilitation.

VietHealth’s core mission is to enable people’s access to basic medical services. VietHealth focuses on sustainable projects in regions with the most need of interventions the in Viet Nam, targeting disadvantaged, neglected and vulnerable populations.

The development and amendment of VietHealth’s code of conduct aims to make the rights and responsibilities well understood by employers and employees of VietHealth. The code also serves as a foundation for Viethealth employees to assert their strengths, promote their profiles and create a productive system that succeeds in obtaining the goal of the organization and producing positive results for the society as well as the employees themselves. VietHealth promotes an inclusive working environment.

The code provides guidelines of work procedures, requirements and the roles of Viethealth employees.

The code will be fixed and updated to adapt to arising needs and changing realities.

1. Definitions

VietHealth

Sustainable Health Development Center – VNGO

2. Personnel Management

2.1. Employee Dossier

An employee record includes:

• A profile that includes a photo, residential address, e-mail address, telephone number and emergency contact. The profile’s authenticity must be confirmed by the local authority
• Photocopies of certificates and degrees
• Labor contract between VietHealth and the employee
• Job description
• Annual performance review and competency evaluation
• Wage adjustment decisions
• Records of awards and disciplines

The employee is obliged to notify VietHealth as soon as there is any change of address, personal phone numbers, marital status, dependents, qualifications, certificates, name and address of the emergency contact, and any other personal information deemed necessary.

2.2. Working Hours

Working Hours are Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 6:00pm with a one-hour lunch break.

2.2.1. Overtime

VietHealth doesn’t encourage employees to work overtime. If overtime is required, the employee has to obtain permission from the head of the department.

Permission from the Director or from a person authorized by the Director is required for an employee to enter VietHealth office on Sundays, national holidays and other special occasions.

If an employee deems overtime is necessary to complete his or her work, he or she can make a request to work overtime and take compensatory time off from Monday to Friday. The amount of time off doubles if the overtime is on Saturdays or Sundays, and triples if overtime is during national holidays.

Overtime periods must be recorded on timesheets, certified by the immediate supervisor. If the employee does not record overtime period accurately, it will not be considered grounds for compensatory leave.

In some very rare cases, employees are entitled to overtime wages when carrying out assignments ordered by the board of directors. The calculation of overtime wages will be made in accordance with prevailing regulations of the Government. (Labour Law).

2.2.2. Timesheets

Each employee is required to fill his or her timesheets (Appendix 1: Timesheets) on the last day of the month, have it signed by the immediate supervisor, inspected and recorded. The accounting department calculates the salary based on the signed timesheets.

If an employee is on business trip, he or she has to send the timesheet via email to the immediate supervisor. The physical copy with the signature of the employee has to be submitted to the accounting department as soon as the employee is back at the office.

2.3. Time off

During work hours, employees are not to leave office without legitimate reasons and permission from the immediate supervisor. In case the immediate supervisor is absent, permission of the office Manager needs to be obtained.

2.4. Performance Appraisal

HR Department and employee supervisors conduct Performance Appraisals (Appendix 2: Performance Appraisal) every 12 months. Performance appraisals serve as a basis for wage adjustments and promotion. When to conduct the appraisals (at the beginning or at the end of the year) is decided by the Boards of Directors after considering the state of the organization.

2.5. Salary, Rewards and Bonuses

2.5.1. Salary

The director is directly involved in the development and promulgation of VietHealth’s salary scale. The salary scale will be adjusted when necessary.

An employee’s salary stays within the wage scale and is negotiated based on his or her skills, qualifications, experience and dedication.

Salary will be transferred to an employee’s bank account or paid directly to the employee in cash within 5 days after the accounting department receives complete timesheets from all employees.

Salary will be in paid once a month. The employer must clearly notify the employee of any salary deduction and the deduction must not be more than 30 % of monthly salary.

Salary adjustment will be carried out based on the performance appraisals, work attitude and the sense of responsibility of that employee.

The Board of Directors may consider a raise for individuals with outstanding achievements or lower wages for individuals who violate the rules and regulations of VietHealth or damage the reputation and interests of VietHealth.

New employees on probation periods are given probationary allowance.

2.5.2. Salary policy

Category 1: A full time, regular employee that has worked for VietHealth at least six months is entitled to:

• Wages: wages as agreed upon after negotiation between the employer and the employee and stated in the labor contract. This salary includes contributions for compulsory insurance is the responsibility of the employee, as prescribed by law. The employee is responsible for payment of personal income tax from this amount.
• The other account is the responsibility of the employer:

Mandatory contributions into social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance and other mandatory contributions under prevailing laws

Contributions to the 13th month’s salary – an average of 8.33 % of the employee’s monthly salary

Category 2: Part time employees that have worked for VietHealth at least six months enjoy the same salary policy as the employee’s category 1.

Category 3: Contract employees are paid wages only and not entitled to any benefits.

Wages for project officers are included in project’s direct cost; wages for managers, office workers, accountants, security guards, cooks and cleaners are included in a project’s indirect cost (management and office maintenance cost).

2.5.3. Wage adjustments

Wage adjustments are made in the following ways:

• Periodic adjustments: Annual adjustments based on Performance Appraisals;
• Adjustments based on changes in responsibilities;
• Adjustments as forms of rewards or disciplines;
• Inflation compensation adjustments;

2.5.4. Bonuses and Benefits

Rewards are given to individual employees or the entire staff, only when VietHealth’s budget has been used efficiently. Budget for the rewards comes from the Reward Fund.

The benefits include a 13th month salary, holiday gifts, and other benefits. The 13th month salaries are included in VietHealth budget, other benefits are deducted from the Welfare fund.

Specific plans will be discussed and approved by the Board of Directors and the Fund Management Boards. The Fund Management Board is in charge of its implementation.

Rewards for Excellence

Every year VietHealth extracts a portion of its revenues to fund rewards for employees with high achievements.  Different types of work have different criteria, which is decided by the Head of Department after consulting the Board of Directors.  A list of candidates will be created by the Head of Department after careful evaluation and then submitted to the Director for approval.

2.6. Social Insurance, Medical Insurance and Unemployment Insurance

Social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance are given according to the labor laws and regulations of the State. The percentage of salary that is used to cover the insurance is pursuant to labor contracts and in accordance with the provisions of the Government.

2.7.1.1 Annual Leave

Employees at VietHealth start with 12 paid days off each year. One day is added every 2 years, the maximum number of days off is 25 days. The immediate supervisor will decide to allow for time off if it does not affect the operation of the VietHealth or will suggest moving it to another day. After getting the supervisor’s consent, the employee must submit the request for leave to his or her immediate supervisor at least 10 days before leaving for more than 5 days, at least 5 days before a 3-4 day leave and at least 2 days in remaining cases. The request should be signed by the immediate supervisor and stored by the office. The office is responsible for tracking annual leave and relaying the information in weekly meetings.

March 31^st is the “use or lose” date for annual paid days off. If an employee doesn’t use all of their mandated days off in one year, they are entitled to compensatory days off, which are only valid before the ‘use or lose” date.

Annual paid leave days don’t include national holidays.

2.7.1.2 Holidays and Lunar New Year break

Policies on holidays and Lunar New Year break are in accordance with the applicable Labour Law.

2.7.1.4 Marriage

Employees are entitled to three paid days off for their wedding.

2.7.1.5 Children’s Wedding

Employees are entitled to one paid day off for their children’s wedding.

2.7.1.6 Funeral Leave

Employees are entitled to four paid day off when mourning the death of a family member (parents, spouse, children, mother/father-in-law).

2.7.1.7. Maternity Leave

In accordance with the Labour Law, female employees are entitled to six months paid leave when they are pregnant. They can also request for two months of unpaid leave, which must be approved by the supervisor.

2.7.1.8. Medical Leave

2.7.1.8.1 Sick Leave

Employees who are sick and have obtained a certification from their health care provider, are allowed sick leave under the provisions of the labor law.

Employees who could not show up at the workplace because of illness must notify the supervisor before 9 a.m. that day, stating their condition and needed days off.

To get sickness allowance, employees have to complete required procedures in accordance with current laws, and obtain the supervisor’s permission. To avoid the delay in the payment of allowances, the employees should submit required documents on the first day back at work.

2.7.1.8.2 Family Medical Leave

According to the Law of Labour, female employees are entitled to unpaid days off to tend for their sick children.

2.7.1.8.3 Sickness allowance

In case of serious illness or illness that requires extended hospitalization, employees are entitled to sickness allowance, in accordance with the Labour Laws.

2.7.2. Unpaid leave

Employees are allowed unpaid leave if they have legitimate reasons. The supervisor will allow for the leave if it doesn’t affect the operation of VietHealth or suggest rescheduling the leave. A request for unpaid leave must be submitted and signed by the supervisor at least 10 days in advance. The office files the request, reports the leave in weekly meetings and keeps track of the leave days.

2.8. Labour contract

The labour contract is a written employment contract signed by the employee and VietHealth Legal Representative, which defines terms of obligations, rights of employees and responsibilities of the employer.

After a period of probation, usually 60 days, employees can be recruited and formally proposed for the Labor Contract signing.

In case the employee wants to terminate the labour contract, he/she must notify the employer of the termination at least 30 days in advance, depending on the terms of the labor contract.

2.10. Smoking and Alcohol

Employees are not allowed to smoke in office area during working hours

Employees are not allowed to use alcohol during working hours.

2.11. Dress Code

Office Dress Code: Employees must dress in a tidy, comfortable and consistent manner.