‘People are shocked and have low morale’ as Dyson carries out surprise layoffs in Singapore

SINGAPORE, Sept 2 – Dyson – known for its bagless vacuum cleaners and other gadgets – carried out unexpected layoffs in Singapore yesterday, leaving employees shocked and in a state of “low morale”.

The layoffs, described by employees as a “surprise”, come three months after Dyson announced that Singapore, where its global headquarters are based, would not be directly affected by a previous global restructuring that saw around 1,000 job cuts in the UK.

“Suddenly people started grabbing their bags. I assumed they were going to meetings in other offices, but… they were actually leaving,” one employee told CNA, requesting anonymity, noting that the atmosphere in the office was “solemn” throughout the day.

“People are shocked and have low morale because they are not sure when it will be their turn,” the employee added.

According to another laid-off employee who spoke anonymously to CNA, the job cuts were done discreetly and affected employees received an email inviting them to a one-on-one meeting.

“An HR representative will be in the room. Unfortunately, the reason given was that the work was unnecessary, so we had to pack our things and prepare to leave,” the employee said.

“We won’t know who was called into the room… (I) saw a lot of envelopes.”

They noted that the layoffs primarily affected manufacturing and supply departments, although the total number of layoffs remains unclear.

Employees at Dyson’s Singapore office fear that yesterday’s layoffs may not be the last.

An anonymous employee told CNA that UK staff cuts last July occurred “department by department and lasted several weeks.”

Dyson has previously carried out layoffs at its development center in Johor Baru, but the layoffs in Singapore caught employees by surprise, especially after the company announced plans to increase investment in the country.

In response to CNA’s questions, a Dyson spokesperson said: “We are constantly changing the makeup of our teams and taking steps to ensure we have the right skills in the right places. Our ambitions in Singapore remain unchanged and we expect to continue to grow here in the medium term.”

Dyson did not provide further details on how many workers were affected or how the company was supporting those being made redundant.

The United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI), an affiliate of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), said: “UWEEI was disappointed that the union received only one day’s notice of the staff cuts, which left insufficient time for constructive discussion between the two pages.

“UWEEI has referred the matter to the Ministry of Manpower (MoM),” the union added.

Noting that the dismissed workers “do not fall within the scope of representation under the collective agreement with Dyson”, the union said it “stands ready to support affected workers”, adding that affected workers can seek assistance from UWEEI.

In response to the union’s statement, Dyson said it had “respectfully informed UWEEI in advance” and that the company had followed all MoM guidelines while providing support to affected employees, including monitored furlough services and employment assistance programs.

Dyson, founded by British billionaire inventor James Dyson, has been operating in Singapore for over a decade, opening its global headquarters in the country in 2019.

The company engages in research, engineering, advanced manufacturing and supply chain operations in Singapore, producing patented digital motors, air purifiers and other devices.

At the end of 2023, Dyson employed over 1,920 people in Singapore.

According to Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB), Dyson has a “significant presence” in the country and will work with government agencies to help affected workers.

This includes helping employees find new jobs in companies that require their skills and expertise.