Dyson recently laid off employees at its Singapore office on October 1, which left many staff members in shock. It was very unexpected especially after the company had previously assured its Singapore workforce that they would not be affected by a restructuring in the UK. A month earlier, Dyson cut around 1000 jobs in the UK. The manufacturing and procurement departments have been affected majorly. Although, the exact number of job cuts has not been made clear. Lay-offed employees received emails calling them to one-on-one meetings, during which they were informed that their roles were now redundant. In response to these layoffs, the United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI) expressed disappointment. It is criticising the lack of advance notice.
Speaking of the latest development, Dyson has stated that it regularly reviews its workforce to ensure it has the right skills in the right places. A company spokesperson also mentioned that Dyson has plans to continue expanding in the region over the medium term.
There’s tension everywhere in the atmosphere of Dyson’s Singapore office due to these layoffs. Throughout the day, many employees quietly packed up their desks and left the office. An employee even shared their experience during the process, saying, “The HR representative will be in the room. Unfortunately, the reason given was that the job is redundant, and we need to pack our things and prepare to leave.”
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The sudden nature of the layoffs has left many employees feeling uneasy and worried about their job security. Despite that, Dyson is offering employment assistance like counseling and outplacement services to help those affected. Even with these support measures in place, the fear of more cuts still lingers.