Vietnam civil servants to get 5-day National Day holiday with work swap

Civil servants in Vietnam are set for a five-day National Day holiday in 2026, thanks to a government-approved work-day swap. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced that public employees will work on Saturday, August 22, 2026, to compensate for the extended break. This allows for a holiday period from Saturday, August 29, to Wednesday, September 2.

This arrangement applies to civil servants and state employees who typically work a standard Saturday-Sunday week. They will return to work on Monday, August 24, and work through Friday, August 28, before their extended holiday begins. For agencies that do not adhere to a fixed weekend schedule, the Ministry has instructed them to arrange their own holiday plans while ensuring continuous operations and handling urgent tasks.

Employees in the private sector have more flexibility. Employers can choose to give their staff September 2 off, and then select either September 1 or September 3 as an additional day off. This decision must be communicated to employees at least 30 days in advance. The Ministry encourages private companies to offer holiday arrangements similar to those for civil servants, or even more favorable terms.

Therefore, whether private sector workers have to work on Saturday, August 22, depends entirely on their employer's specific holiday schedule and arrangements, unlike the mandatory swap for civil servants.