#20: Embracing work-life balance
A glimpse into how Vietnamese youths are embracing work-life balance, and how they’re empowering themselves in the workplace
Welcome to this week’s edition of SEAmplified! Your latest insights on Southeast Asian youth and youth politics in 5 minutes.
Editor’s note: This newsletter was scheduled to be published on June 18 (Tuesday), but we had to delay it due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologize for the delay!
💼 Redefining Work
Redefining Work examines how Southeast Asian youths are rethinking their careers and what it means to be a successful professional. How are Vietnamese youths embracing work-life balance and breaking away from the traditional mindset to empower themselves in the workplace?
🇻🇳 Additional reporting by Nguyễn Tiến Minh Hoàng, a university student from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Do you believe in work-life balance?
With an increasing emphasis on taking care of our physical and mental health, more youths are embracing the concept of work-life balance.
In Singapore, a Randstad survey conducted this year found that about 59 percent of those surveyed will not accept a job if it does not allow for work-life balance. In particular, 2 in 3 Gen Z respondents have indicated that a flexible work arrangement is non-negotiable for them.
You’d probably think that this is only happening in Singapore, which is known for its fast-paced and stressful working environment. However, a similar trend is happening among Vietnamese youths.
What does it really mean to embrace work-life balance in Vietnam? And how are they moving away from the traditional ideas of work to empower themselves?
Generational differences
Phuc Khoi, an intern at an architecture firm in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), feels that Vietnamese youths are placing more emphasis on recreational activities than previous generations.
“We want to feel more fulfilled with our jobs, even if it means choosing one with less security, such as freelancing.”
He also claims that contrary to negative perceptions held by older generations, today’s youths are neither spoiled nor lack work ethics.
“Our generation is still working hard as ever, it’s just that we see things from a different perspective,” he added.
In fact, A 2023 Navigos Search survey found that more than 35 percent of 4,000 Vietnamese job seekers will quit their jobs if it affects their work-life balance. A separate survey by Anphabe released this year also found that 72% of Gen Z respondents want work-life balance.
Vietnamese youths have become more vocal about their job expectations. For instance, they’re asking for work hours to be well accounted for. This was unimaginable in the 2000s and the 2010s, where unaccounted overtime work used to be the norm.
On top of that, they’re seeking alternative work arrangements if the company structure is not to their liking. Freelancing and remote work are just some of the demands that Vietnamese youths have put forward to employees.
Different perspectives
That said, different youths may have different considerations and ways of achieving work-life balance.
Huu Thang, a graduate-to-be in finance, feels that it is still a priority for youths to know how to navigate the corporate environment to succeed in their careers, especially when they’re fresh out of university.
He’s even willing to “sacrifice” his work-life balance to gain a standing in the company in the early days of his career.
“I believe that I’m not the only one who has this idea. That said, I still think work-life balance is necessary in the long run,” he added.
Huu Trang’s belief that work-life balance is not a priority for now seems to align with the survey conducted by Navigos Search in 2023.
According to the survey, work-life balance is not the key consideration employees have when deciding to resign. Instead, salary remains the top determining factor, with 70% of respondents choosing it.
On the other hand, there’s an increasing number of youths who are turning to “mental healing trips” to achieve work-life balance.
According to a Vietnamese news report, youths embark on “mental healing trips” by leaving the hustles of city life for the countryside or mountainous areas for a few days.
It has become a trend on social media. It was reported that there are more than 240,000 posts with the hashtag “chua lanh” (“healing” in Vietnamese), which raked in more than 2 billion views on TikTok.
(Image: Screenshots of Vietnamese youths sharing their mental healing trips on TikTok)
To find out why people are embarking on such trips, we surveyed 11 Vietnamese youths under the age of 30. And here’s what we found.
About 45.5 percent cite daily and work stresses as the main reason for embarking on mental healing trips.
Most of them traveled either for leisure or embarked on the trip spontaneously. Escaping from potential conflicts with colleagues or superiors could also be the reason why youths want to get away, according to this article.
With about 63 percent of respondents viewing these trips as favorable after experiencing them, there’s a possibility that these trips will become even more popular in the future, with their popularity facilitated by social media.
A shift from hustle culture
While there’s no sign to show that the increasing popularity of mental healing trips has pressurized employers to shift the hustling culture, change is happening.
Based on local observations, employers are becoming more mindful and accommodating of their employees' well-being.
For instance, employers are treating employees with boba milk tea after every workday, or introducing recognition schemes like the “Employee of the Month”, hefty year-end bonuses, and company-sponsored trips.
That said, awards and recognition alone may not be enough to entice workers to stay in the office. Salary benefits, new learning opportunities, and hybrid work arrangements are just some of the things that Vietnamese youths are looking for in a job.
In fact, a DecisionLab survey in 2023 found that 62 percent of 503 Vietnamese employees prefer hybrid work arrangements. In contrast, only 15 percent of respondents prefer to work in the office.
Couple these findings with the trend of mental healing trips, it is apparent that more Vietnamese youths value their own physical and mental well-being over chasing deadlines when looking for a job. They also want to feel valued and empowered.
What this also means is that employers need to adapt to the trend and consider ways to take care of their employees’ well-being.
At the end of the day, achieving work-life balance takes two hands to clap. It requires employers and employees to create a healthy work environment that will enable workers and organizations to thrive in a competitive world.
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