Many offices and agencies start the New Year atmosphere with colleagues gathering to “kill” each other with scratch cards and blackjack.
“Do a few games to open the new year, everyone!”, Thoa stood in the middle of the office, holding a shock absorber. After her call, in a moment, her colleagues had gathered around the round table to prepare for the money games. Even those who never gambled at this time joined in.
With only a few words of exchange between the parties playing what cards, how much money the game is, the cards are given out and new hard coins are quickly placed on the table. The sound of winners and losers echoed in the corner of the room, right next to the peach blossom tree that had not been cleaned for Tet.
Thao, 28 years old, works at a software company in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. The business has just returned to work on the morning of January 30, following more than 10 days of Tet holiday.
On the first day of work, the company always has familiar activities such as New Year wishes, lucky money … and then never lacks a gathering to play cards for money before attending the company’s New Year’s reception, Mr. company.
The female employee shared, the first working day of the year at her place is mainly for exchanges and meetings, not officially working. The boss is also quite comfortable when employees play cards for money, some managers sometimes even pull a leg. Playing a few cards at the beginning of the year with everyone as well as buying lottery tickets, called “happy get lucky”, losers are also happy.
The girl also revealed that in the companies she worked for, there was a culture… playing cards at the beginning of the year. However, according to Thoa, the player only played a few lucky games and then stopped. And playing cards for a long time, squeezing from day to day or playing games with each other is another matter.
At the beginning of the day back to work, Mr. Chau Minh Tan, a financial officer in Ho Chi Minh City, received 1.3 million VND in silver. Mr. Tan said, as usual, his room would have to do… a few games on the first day of returning to work following Tet. Even the most obedient and standard employees every day, the first day they return to work, they are “unlocked” and excited to participate.
Not fussy, they only play scratch cards (three-card flip cards) with a certain amount of money, the number of games has been set to rest, no more or less, whoever loses has no chance to remove.
According to Mr. Tan, scratch cards, blackjack … are the most “finished” cards for office workers at the beginning of the year because they are quick, neat, and don’t have to think much.
Point b, Clause 4, Article 28 of Decree 144/2021/ND-CP stipulates a fine of between 5 and 10 million dong for acts of organizing gambling such as enticing, enticing or gathering others to gamble illegally. ; use the house, place of residence, other means or location of their own or under their management to harbor gambling.
Thus, when businesses use their location for employees to commit illegal gambling, they will be administratively sanctioned. The fine amount applied to violators is from 5,000,000 VND to 10,000,000 VND.
Clause 1, Article 125 of the Labor Code 2019 stipulates that the company can apply the disciplinary action of dismissal when the employee commits acts of theft, embezzlement, gambling, intentionally causing injury, using drugs at work.
Gambling in any form, with any amount of money is illegal and violates the Law. Not to mention, this takes place at the office, even worse during working hours.
Many people excuse: “Tet, it’s a little fun” but it is worrying that bad gambling, alcohol, drinking… not only happens during Tet but also before and following Tet. The month of playing and gambling following Tet was mentioned with a funny conclusion “January is a month of entertainment, February is gambling …”.
In the early days of the new year, it is not difficult to see pictures of casinos at home, public places, fairs… Not to mention, this evil can also take place in offices, offices, with the argument ” just for fun”.
Exhibits seized by the police on silver mats at the headquarters of a company in Ninh Binh with an amount of up to nearly 100 million VND (Photo: Ninh Binh Police).
In fact, for many years, there have been a series of gambling cases in the workplace where participants were arrested, prosecuted…
Most recently, Ninh Binh police discovered and caught 8 people gambling in the form of shocks at the headquarters of a concrete company. At the scene, functional forces seized 85.6 million VND, 8 mobile phones and a number of tools and vehicles for gambling.
Talking regarding the reason for “playing some fun games at the beginning of the year”, Mr. Nguyen Manh Anh, working in the field of education in Ho Chi Minh City, said that it is difficult to judge.
Gambling and drinking show cultural poverty (Photo: HN).
However, the fact that people gamble and drink when they have the opportunity to meet before, during and following Tet, even in the office environment, according to Mr. Anh, shows the poverty of knowledge and culture in life. These days with many people, from unskilled workers to officials, personnel who have education, qualifications and high positions, when they meet and exchange, if they don’t play cards, drink alcohol, etc., they don’t know. what to do, what to say.
“It is very difficult to have groups of people talking and discussing a book or a social issue,” Mr. Anh commented.
