Teachers in Vietnam to receive 150% pay for overtime, up to 200 hours

For each overtime hour taught beyond the standard workload, public school teachers will receive 150% of their regular hourly rate, up to a maximum of 200 hours per year.

Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training issued a circular on 23/9 outlining the payment scheme for overtime teaching (hours taught beyond the assigned quota) for public school teachers.

All teachers are now eligible for overtime pay without any preconditions. Previously, under a 2013 circular from the Ministries of Education, Home Affairs, and Finance, teachers could only receive overtime pay if their school or department was short-staffed due to illness, maternity leave, or official travel.

The total payable overtime hours per academic year are capped at 200. If a teacher exceeds this limit due to staff shortages, the principal must report it to the relevant authorities. This differs from the May draft, which set limits of 150-225 hours per year.

The calculation method is as follows:

Hourly rate for preschool and K-12 teachers = (Total 12-month salary / annual teaching hour quota) * (Number of teaching weeks / 52).

Hourly rate for college and university lecturers = (Total 12-month salary / annual teaching hour quota) * (Annual teaching hour quota in administrative hours / 1,760 hours) * (44 weeks / 52 weeks).

Overtime hourly rate = Regular hourly rate x 150%.

Currently, the average teaching quota for K-12 teachers is 15-23 hours per week, while for college and university lecturers it is 210-350 hours per year.

The Ministry stated that overtime pay will be funded by the schools. Schools will determine whether to pay teachers monthly, per semester, or annually, based on their specific circumstances.