State employees and workers will likely be given seven days off during the forthcoming Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet holiday, from February 14 to 20, according to a proposal by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs submitted to the Prime Minister for approval.

The break includes five days for the holiday from February 14 to 18 and two more days as compensation.

Most workers want a long holiday to reunite with their families or travel while employers and experts prefer a short holiday to ensure production and business activities of enterprises and the economy as a whole. 

Many companies said labor productivity before and after the Tet holiday is often low. Besides, workers tend to return to work late, especially those working in industrial parks.

Experts suggested merging solar and lunar new year holidays to facilitate trading activities with other countries.

SGT