A Chief Human Resources Officer to build the organisation behind the growth

A fractional CHRO is a senior HR leader who provides strategic people management to your business on a part-time basis. Ho Chi Minh City SMEs need fractional CHROs because the regulatory landscape is complex and evolving - work permits under Decree 219/2025, the ~21.5-22% employer contribution regime, statutory severance, the customary 13th-month Tet bonus, and the amended Personal Income Tax Law all require expert navigation. Most SMEs cannot justify a full-time HR director but face real compliance risk and talent challenges without one.

Decree 219/2025/ND-CP streamlined work permits into a single consolidated dossier of around 10 working days, but that dossier still has to justify why no qualified Vietnamese candidate is available. Our fractional CHROs prepare compliant dossiers and the required justification - or, where senior foreign capability is needed, we deploy a fractional operator on a company-to-company basis that sidesteps the foreign-hire justification and the on-costs of a permanent expatriate package.

Employers in Vietnam carry mandatory contributions of roughly 21.5-22% of gross salary - around 17.5% social insurance, 3% health insurance, and 1% unemployment insurance - plus statutory severance at half a month's salary per year of service for eligible staff. Our fractional CHROs make sure these are calculated accurately, reflected in contracts, and budgeted for, so you avoid reconciliation errors, underpayment exposure, and unbudgeted exit costs.

Our fractional CHROs help with: Labour Code compliance and policy development, work-permit dossiers under Decree 219/2025, employer contribution and severance administration, 13th-month Tet bonus planning, employee retention strategies in a thin senior market, recruitment and hiring process improvement, performance management systems, and building HR infrastructure that scales with your business.

Consider a fractional CHRO when your business has 10 or more employees and growing, faces high employee turnover or recruitment challenges against the 21%-plus senior skills gap, has no formal HR policies or procedures, needs guidance on work permits for foreign managers, is managing the ~21.5-22% contribution and severance regime, or when the founder is spending more than five hours per week on people management issues.

HR consultants typically work on specific projects like policy creation or compliance audits. A fractional CHRO provides ongoing strategic leadership, becoming part of your team to align people strategy with business growth. They take ownership of culture, employee engagement, and organisational development while handling day-to-day HR challenges - not just delivering reports and recommendations.

Yes. The amended Personal Income Tax Law keeps a top marginal rate of 35% (salary provisions expected from 1 January 2026), and while there is no statutory 13th-month salary, the 13th-month Tet bonus is a near-universal expectation. Our fractional CHROs make PIT exposure predictable, structure compensation efficiently, and ensure the Tet bonus is planned and communicated - keeping you compliant while managing the commercial impact.

Our fractional CHROs integrate with your business by working closely with founders on people strategy, providing training and guidance to managers handling day-to-day people issues, establishing clear processes and communication channels, and being available for urgent employee relations matters. The goal is to professionalise your people management without bureaucracy - practical systems that work for your stage and size, and respectful of founder-led, relationship-driven Saigon business culture.