What is job hopping? What to do before and after quitting your job? Note

8 things to note before changing jobs: notice period, social insurance benefits when leaving a job, salary payment after leaving a job, is it okay to quit a job halfway through…

What is job hopping?

1. What is job hopping?

Job hopping (also known as job switching) is a common phenomenon today. Job hopping can be understood as the act of an individual proactively terminating the labor contract at a company and moving to work at another company. Unlike quitting a job, job hopping is a voluntary choice made by the employee himself.

Job hopping can happen in any field, from information technology to healthcare and education. This is a way for employees to seek new opportunities, challenge themselves and develop their careers. However, the decision to job hop also needs to be carefully thought out and have the necessary preparations. Because this can bring disadvantages to both businesses and employees if it happens frequently:

• For businesses: The trend of employees constantly changing jobs makes it difficult for many companies and human resource management to ensure work progress and efficiency;
• For employees: If you change jobs too often and continuously, it will also bring many disadvantages in the process of finding a new job, because businesses will hardly appreciate employees who frequently change jobs.

>> Related article: What is quitting a job?

2. Reasons for job hopping and quitting

Unsuitable working environment, salary and benefits that do not meet the initial expectations of employees or the need for career advancement or personal reasons are the most common reasons leading to the current trend of “massive” job hopping.

However, the main reason why employees quit their jobs is salary and benefits. Nowadays, many companies offer very attractive benefits when recruiting, but after a period of time, employees do not receive enough and correct benefits according to the original agreement. This is what makes them decide to change jobs. 

5 things to know – What to do before quitting your job?

To avoid losing benefits, you need to pay attention to some issues before deciding to change jobs, specifically:

• Do I need to give notice of resignation to the company?
• How many days notice should I give to quit my job?
• Is it okay to quit a job?
• What are the social insurance benefits when leaving work?
• Do I need to continue paying social insurance when I quit my job?

Below, Online Accounting will share details for you on each issue.

1. Do employees need to notify the company when they quit their job?

Before changing jobs, employees need to terminate their employment contracts. And based on Article 35 of the Labor Code, employees have the right to unilaterally terminate their employment contracts (i.e., have the right to change jobs) but must notify the employer in advance as prescribed, except in the following cases:

• Not guaranteed working conditions as agreed, not assigned to the correct job and work location;
• Not being paid on time and not being paid in full;
• Being abused, abused or subjected to insulting words, actions and actions that harm health, dignity, honor or forced labor;
• Sexual harassment;
• Pregnant female workers must take leave according to regulations;
• Retirement age as prescribed;
• The business owner provides false or dishonest information that affects the performance of the labor contract.

2. Regulations on notice period before quitting or changing jobs

The notice period before resignation or unilateral termination of the labor contract of an employee is specifically regulated as follows.

In case the employee works in a specific industry, profession or job (*), the regulations on notice period before quitting or changing jobs are as follows.

—-

(*): Specific industries, occupations and jobs include:

• Employees working in the aircraft industry: flight crew members, maintenance technicians, dispatchers, repair and flight operations staff;
• Business managers: private business owners, general partners, chairman of the board of members, member of the board of members, company president, chairman of the board of directors…;
• Crew members who are members of the crew and work on Vietnamese ships operating abroad or crew members who are re-hired to work on foreign ships of Vietnamese enterprises;
• Other cases as prescribed by law.

3. Is it okay to quit a job without giving notice before quitting?

➨ What is a sabbatical?

Untimely resignation is a case where the employee unilaterally terminates the labor contract without notifying the employer as described in the above section.

➨ Is it okay to quit a job?

When leaving work, the regulations on benefits for employees are as follows:

• Enjoy the following benefits:
  • Right to withdraw social insurance one time;
  • Close the book and receive back the social insurance book;
  • Get paid for regular work days;
  • Receive maternity benefits (if any).
• Not entitled to the following benefits:
  • Severance pay;
  • Unemployment benefits.

Note:

In case of untimely resignation, the employee will have to compensate the employer (agencies, organizations, enterprises) with the following amounts:

• Half a month’s salary according to the labor contract;
• 1 amount of money equivalent to the salary according to the labor contract for the days without notice;
• Training costs as prescribed include: costs for teachers, learning materials, schools, classes, machinery, equipment, etc.

Learn more: 

>> How to calculate severance pay for employees;

>> Distinguish between severance pay and unemployment benefits. 

4. Benefits and social insurance when quitting or changing jobs

➨ Enjoy social insurance when leaving work

Employees working at units, organizations and enterprises participating in compulsory social insurance when quitting or changing jobs can choose 1 of the following 2 options:

• Receive social insurance after 1 year of unemployment (ie receive social insurance benefits at one time);
• Quit your job but still want to pay social insurance: Reserve your social insurance payment period until you are eligible to participate in voluntary social insurance or compulsory social insurance. If you pay social insurance for 20 years or more, you will later receive a pension and health insurance benefits.

>> See more: Should I receive one-time social insurance?

➨ What documents do I need to get when I quit my job to receive unemployment insurance? 

Additionally, to qualify for unemployment benefits, you will need to ask your employer to provide some of the following documents to prove that you have quit your job:

• Notice of termination of contract;
• Expired employment contract;
• Decision to quit job… 

At the same time, you can also ask your employer to quickly complete the social insurance book closing procedure (even if you quit your job) to quickly proceed with the unemployment benefits application.

>> See more: Instructions on unemployment benefit procedures.

5. Can I get my social insurance book if I quit my job halfway?

According to the provisions of the Labor Code, when an employment contract is terminated, the employer is responsible for:

• Complete the procedure for confirming the period of social insurance and unemployment insurance payment and return it together with the original copies of other documents of the employee (if any);
• Provide copies of documents relating to the employee’s employment history if requested. The cost will be borne by the employer.

Thus, in the case of employees who quit without notice, they will still receive their social insurance book back according to regulations. The employer must then be responsible for closing the book and returning the separate social insurance sheet to the employee.

See also: 

>> How to get social security book.

>> Can employees who quit their jobs close their social insurance books?

3 things to know – What to do after quitting your job?

1. Continue paying social insurance when leaving work

After quitting your job, if you sign a labor contract with a new unit or enterprise, you can still continue to participate in compulsory social insurance at that unit.

In case you do not work at any other unit or enterprise after quitting your job but still need to continue paying social insurance, you can participate in voluntary social insurance.

However, you can only participate in voluntary social insurance if you are 15 years of age or older and do not fall into the following cases:

• Working under a fixed-term/indefinite-term/seasonal labor contract or a job with a term of 3 months to less than 12 months;
• Work under a contract with a term from 1 month to less than 3 months;
• Officials, civil servants, public employees;
• People working in units under the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security;
• Vietnamese workers go abroad to work under labor contracts;
• Person holding a position of company, enterprise or cooperative executive manager receiving salary;
• Non-professional workers are paid locally. 

If you do not fall into one of the above cases, you can participate in voluntary social insurance to ensure future benefits such as retirement, health insurance, etc. 

>> See more: Benefits of participating in voluntary social insurance.

2. Regulations on receiving one-time social insurance benefits after leaving work

If you quit your job but no longer want to pay social insurance and want to receive a one-time social insurance payment, you can contact the social insurance agency where you live to complete the procedures for receiving a one-time social insurance payment.

However, you can only enjoy one-time social insurance benefits in the following cases:

• Settle abroad;
• Reaching retirement age but not having paid 20 years of social insurance;
• Police/soldiers are not eligible for pension after discharge, resignation, or demobilization;
• Reaching retirement age but not having paid 15 years of social insurance and not continuing to participate in voluntary social insurance (applicable to female workers in localities);
• People with dangerous diseases such as polio, severe tuberculosis, cirrhosis, leprosy, cancer, HIV in the AIDS stage and other diseases as prescribed by the Ministry of Health;
• After 1 year of unemployment without 20 years of social insurance contributions and not continuing to pay social insurance. 

The one-time social insurance benefit is calculated based on the number of years of social insurance contribution. Each year will be calculated as follows:

• Years of social insurance payment before 2014: You will receive 1.5 months of average monthly salary for social insurance payment;
• Years of social insurance contribution after 2014: You will receive 2 months of average monthly salary for social insurance contribution;
• In case your social insurance payment period is less than 1 year, the one-time social insurance benefit is equal to 22% of the monthly salary for which social insurance has been paid and the maximum is 2 months of the average monthly salary for which social insurance has been paid.

Note:

The one-time social insurance benefit will not include the amounts supported by the state for voluntary social insurance contributions, except in cases of suffering from life-threatening diseases such as AIDS, paralysis, severe tuberculosis, cirrhosis and other diseases prescribed by the Ministry of Health;

>> See more: Procedures for withdrawing social insurance one time – detailed calculation method. 

3. Regulations on payment of salary and related amounts after leaving work

Pursuant to Article 48 of the Labor Code, within 14 days from the date of termination of the labor contract, the employer is responsible for fully paying all amounts related to the employee’s benefits.

The amounts of money employees receive after legally changing jobs include: 

• Unemployment benefits;
• Severance pay;
• Unused annual leave;
• Unpaid wages.

Note:

1) Within 3 months from the date of contract termination, the employee must submit an application for unemployment benefits to the employment service center for consideration of payment of benefits.

2) To receive the above amounts, employees must fully satisfy the corresponding conditions of each amount as prescribed when leaving work.

For more information: 

>> Unemployment insurance when leaving work;

>> How to calculate annual leave.

When should you change jobs?

1. When to change jobs

If you want to determine the right time to find a new job that is more suitable with a variety of fields and industries, don’t miss the following “golden” recruitment times: 

• January – February is the time when most companies restructure their administrative apparatus, so the beginning of the year is the best time for you to look for a new job;
• March – May is also a good and reasonable opportunity to change jobs. Because after Tet, the recruitment needs of companies are quite large and many companies are likely not able to add enough desired personnel. During these 3 months, they will try to shorten the recruitment time before summer comes;
• September – October is the time when companies often recruit additional staff at the end of the year to achieve previously set work plans and targets.

2. When not to change jobs 

The level of competition is low but job opportunities are very few, if you intend to change jobs in the following months, you should pay attention: 

• June – August: This is the time after the recruitment period at the beginning of the year, so most businesses and companies have almost found enough staff for vacant positions, so the recruitment demand in these months is often very low;
• November – December: Considered the worst time to change jobs, because the last 2 months of the year will be the time when the company’s departments prepare for the new year, so the recruitment demand will not be high. In addition, the HR department will usually wait until January and February, because these 2 months have a very high demand for jobs, which will help the recruitment process take place more quickly and smoothly.

Frequently asked questions when changing jobs, social insurance benefits when leaving a job

1. Do employees need to give notice of resignation in advance?

Yes. Pursuant to Article 35 of the Labor Code, employees have the right to unilaterally terminate the labor contract but must notify the employer in advance as prescribed.

>> See details at: Regulations on notice period before changing jobs.

2. What are the benefits received when leaving work?

If you change jobs in accordance with the law, you will receive the following payments after leaving your previous job:

• Unpaid wages;
• Severance pay;
• Unused annual leave;
• Unemployment benefits.

3. Can I continue to pay social insurance when I quit my job?

After quitting your job, if you sign a labor contract with a new unit or enterprise, you can still continue to participate in compulsory social insurance at that unit. 

In case you do not work at any other unit or enterprise after quitting your job but still need to continue paying social insurance, you can participate in voluntary social insurance.

>> See details at: Continue paying social insurance when leaving work.

4. How many days notice do I need to give to resign?

The notice period for termination of employment contract is specifically regulated as follows:

• At least 45 days: For cases of working under indefinite-term labor contracts;
• At least 30 days: For cases of working under contracts with a term of 12 to 36 months;
• At least 3 days: For cases of working under contracts with a term of less than 12 months.

In case the employee works in a specific industry, profession or job, the regulations on notice period before quitting or changing jobs are as follows:

• At least 120 days: For cases of working under indefinite-term contracts or contracts of 12 months or more;
• At least 1/4 of the contract term: For cases of working under a contract with a term of less than 12 months.

>> See details at: Regulations on notice period before quitting or changing jobs.

5. When should you change jobs?

If you want to find a new job that is more suitable, do not ignore the following recruitment months: January, February, March, April, May, September, October. Because these are the times when recruitment demand is high and it is easier to find a job. 

6. Are employees entitled to social insurance when taking leave?

Yes. If an employee changes jobs in the form of quitting in the middle of the job, after quitting, the employee will or will not receive the following benefits:

• Benefits that employees receive:
  • Right to withdraw social insurance one time;
  • Close the book and receive back the social insurance book;
  • Get paid for regular work days;
  • Receive maternity benefits (if any).
• Benefits that employees are not entitled to:
  • Severance pay;
  • Unemployment benefits.

7. If I quit my job, is it okay? Do I have to pay compensation?

Yes. In case of untimely resignation, the employee will have to compensate the employer (agencies, organizations, enterprises) with the following amounts:

• Half a month’s salary;
• An amount equivalent to the salary specified in the contract for the days without notice;
• Training costs: costs for teachers, learning materials, schools, classrooms, machinery, equipment, etc.

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