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Short-term and seasonal work

Labour contract template for under 12 months

For seasonal or short-term work lasting less than a year. The template covers pay, insurance and working hours as required by law.

Suited to seasonal workStates the tasks, working period and expected end date.Insurance obligationsReminds you of insurance duties for contracts of one month or longer.Proper terminationStates the notice period for short-term contracts.

Choose an industry to add clauses specific to it.

Labour contract under 12 months

Labour Code 2019, Article 20(1)(b)

For temporary, seasonal or specific work lasting less than a year.

9 clauses

Indefinite-term labour contract

Labour Code 2019, Article 20(1)(a)

For stable, long-term positions where neither party sets an end date.

9 clauses

Fixed-term labour contract

Labour Code 2019, Article 20(1)(b)

Has a specific end date, lasts up to 36 months and can be renewed only once.

9 clauses

Probation contract

Labour Code 2019, Articles 24 to 27

A probation agreement before the official contract, with pay of at least 85% of the job's salary.

8 clauses

Freelance collaborator contract

Civil Code 2015, Article 513 on service contracts

Task-based collaboration, not an employment relationship unless there is management and supervision.

6 clauses

Piecework contract

Civil Code 2015, Article 542 on processing contracts

Assigns a full scope of work, paid according to the accepted results.

5 clauses

Service contract

Civil Code 2015, Articles 513 to 521

The provider performs services for the client and receives a service fee.

5 clauses

Internship contract

Labour Code 2019 and the training institution's internship rules

Hosts student interns, with or without financial support.

6 clauses

Vocational training contract

Labour Code 2019, Articles 61 to 62

The company pays for training and the trainee commits to working after the course.

5 clauses

Labour contract appendix

Labour Code 2019, Article 22

Amends or supplements part of a labour contract that is in force.

3 clauses

Part-time labour contract

Labour Code 2019, Article 32

Fewer hours than normal working time, with entitlements in proportion to the hours actually worked.

9 clauses

Remote work labour contract

Labour Code 2019, Articles 21 and 105

The employee works mainly away from the office, with rules on equipment, connectivity and security.

10 clauses

Labour contract with a foreign employee

Labour Code 2019, Articles 151 to 157

For foreign nationals working in Vietnam, with the term tied to the work permit.

10 clauses

Domestic worker labour contract

Labour Code 2019, Articles 161 to 165

A household hires a domestic worker, with specific rules on rest, board and insurance paid with wages.

7 clauses

Labour contract with an executive

Labour Code 2019 and Law on Enterprises 2020

Signed with directors and department heads, with clauses on authority, income and confidentiality.

10 clauses

Consulting contract

Civil Code 2015, Articles 513 to 521

An expert advises within an agreed scope for a consulting fee, outside an employment relationship.

7 clauses

Non-disclosure agreement

Labour Code 2019, Article 21(2)

Signed with the labour contract to protect trade secrets, customer data and technology.

6 clauses

Labour contract termination agreement

Labour Code 2019, Article 34(3)

Both parties agree to end the contract and settle the last day, payments and handover.

6 clauses
See all 18 contract templates
Guide

Seasonal contracts under 12 months: insurance still due, 3 days' notice, no endless renewals

7 sectionsAbout 3 min readUpdated 01/10/2026

A labour contract of less than 12 months is how businesses hire for peak season, for a project or to cover someone on maternity leave. The law has no separate contract type by this name: it is still a definite-term contract under Article 20, just shorter than a year, which brings a few differences in notice, probation and insurance. This article sets out when to use it, when it must not be used, which clauses it must contain and how to draft it on Việc Hot.

When to use a labour contract of less than 12 months, and when not to

It is the right choice when the work has a foreseeable end point. A supermarket takes on extra cashiers and warehouse assistants for the three months before Tết (the Lunar New Year); an audit firm hires assistants for reporting season from January to April; a garment factory that lands a large order needs extra workers for six months; an office hires someone to cover an accountant on maternity leave. It is the wrong choice when a 6-month contract is used for a year-round position such as a salesperson, receptionist or maintenance technician, and then renewed year after year. Article 20 of the Labour Code 2019 (Bộ luật Lao động 2019) allows a definite-term contract to be renewed only once, whatever its length; the third must be indefinite-term. Two consecutive 6-month contracts use up the allowance.

The Việc Hot template warns you if you enter a term of 12 months or more, and includes the ready-made sentence "the work is temporary in nature and ends upon completion of the agreed volume of work" so that the term clause is tied to a real reason.

Insurance, probation, annual leave and notice under a short-term contract

ItemContract of less than 12 monthsLegal basis
FormContract of less than 12 monthsIn writing, including electronic form; only contracts of less than 1 month may be agreed orally, with some exceptionsLegal basisArticle 14
Social insuranceContract of less than 12 monthsCompulsory from 1 full month; the employee contributes 8% social insurance, 1.5% health insurance and 1% unemployment insuranceLegal basisSocial Insurance Law 2024
ProbationContract of less than 12 monthsMay be agreed, but not under a contract of less than 1 month; probation pay of at least 85%Legal basisArticles 24 and 26
Notice of unilateral terminationContract of less than 12 months3 working days, for both partiesLegal basisArticles 35 and 36
Annual leaveContract of less than 12 monthsIn proportion to the time worked; under 12 months, the full 12 days do not yet applyLegal basisArticle 113
Severance allowanceContract of less than 12 monthsArises only after 12 full months of regular workLegal basisArticle 46

The insurance row is what surprises small business owners most. A 3-month contract requires insurance contributions just like a 3-year one; "it is seasonal, so no contributions" is an outdated reading of the law. The company pays 17.5% social insurance, 3% health insurance and 1% unemployment insurance under the Social Insurance Law 2024 (Luật Bảo hiểm xã hội 2024); to see the total cost of a seasonal hire, use the staff cost calculator.

Mandatory clauses and clauses worth adding for seasonal work

It is still a labour contract, so Article 21 applies in full: the names and addresses of both parties, the job, the workplace, the term, the salary and pay period, working hours, protective equipment and insurance. For seasonal work, add three things: the volume of work or the point at which the job ends; the shift schedule and how overtime is paid, since peak season is when overtime is heaviest, which you can estimate with the overtime pay calculator; and how uniforms, equipment and stock are handed back at the end.

A correctly worded term clause

Article 2. Term of contract: Term: 3 months, from 1 December 2026 to 28 February 2027. The work is temporary in nature, serving the Tết sales season, and ends upon completion of the agreed volume of work.

What seasonal workers should check before signing

  • A written contract with a start date and an end date; do not accept a verbal promise for work lasting one month or more.
  • A social insurance line appears in the contract; from one full month, the company must pay contributions.
  • Whether pay is monthly or per working day, the fixed pay day, and how overtime, night work and public holiday work are paid.
  • Whether there is probation, for how many days and at what percentage of pay.
  • The workplace, and whether you will be given notice of transfers between shops, warehouses or sites.
  • No handing over original diplomas and no deposit to "hold your place" for seasonal work.

Common employer mistakes with seasonal contracts

  • Not putting anything in writing because "it is only two months", whereas Article 14 allows oral agreements only for contracts of less than one month.
  • Not paying insurance on contracts of less than 12 months; coverage is compulsory from one full month.
  • Using seasonal contracts for year-round positions and then renewing them a third and a fourth time.
  • Requiring probation under a contract of less than one month, or probation longer than the cap for professional staff.
  • Ending the contract early without a ground under Article 36 and without 3 working days' notice.
  • Waiting more than 14 working days after the contract ends to pay the salary and untaken leave and to finalise the social insurance book.

Drafting a labour contract of less than 12 months on Việc Hot

Click "Use this template" and choose an industry to get its specific clauses: hospitality has sections on shifts, public holidays and service charges; manufacturing has shift work and occupational safety. Fill in both parties' details, the number of months, the start date and the end date. The editor warns you when the term is 12 months or more, when the salary is below the minimum wage for the selected region and when the workplace is missing. The finished contract can be printed directly or saved as a template to reuse in the next hiring round.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Under the Social Insurance Law 2024, anyone working under a labour contract of one full month or longer is covered by compulsory insurance, whether the work is seasonal or long term.

Only for contracts of less than one month, and except in certain cases specified by law. From one month upwards it must be in writing, which includes electronic form.

At least 3 working days under Article 35 of the Labour Code 2019, with no need to give a reason.

No. A definite-term contract can be renewed only once; the third must be an indefinite-term contract.

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