Meta’s global layoffs hit S’pore, staff on parental and medical leave last yr among impacted

On January 14, Meta announced a 5% workforce reduction of their “lowest performing” staff, in preparation for what CEO Mark Zuckerberg described as an “intense year” for the company. 

Job loss notifications were scheduled to be sent out at 9 p.m. Singapore time on February 10, with workers in over a dozen countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa expected to be notified between February 11 and 18.

It appears that staff in Singapore have also begun receiving these notifications, according to several posts on LinkedIn and sources who spoke to The Straits Times. 

In a LinkedIn post on February 11, one user, who identified herself as Meta’s product manager based in Singapore, described the layoffs as a “deeply emotional” experience despite having witnessed previous rounds of cuts during her nearly three years at the company. 

She highlighted that some of the employees impacted by the recent cuts had been on parental or medical leave in 2024. 

Support event for those impacted

In response to the layoffs, career networking platform Key organised a two-hour support event at Clarke Quay on February 13. The platform offers various targeted channels, such as advice on layoffs and mental well-being support, to help laid-off workers connect with the broader tech community.

The gathering at Clarke Quay was led by Key co-founder Christopher Fong, and co-hosted by two former Meta employees—Grace Clapham and Anand Kumar Ramakrishnan—who lost their jobs in previous rounds of layoffs. 

According to The Straits Times, around 20 people attended the session, with about half of them having been laid off earlier last week.

During the event, Clapham shared that the job cuts in Singapore affected a range of roles, including engineering, partnerships, global business operations, and policy. 

Ramakrishnan, on the other hand, voiced concerns about employees who had recently been on leave. He noted that two employees in Singapore, who had recently returned from paternal and medical leave, were among those impacted by the layoffs.

One of them had previously sought clarification from Meta’s HR department about whether her leave would affect her standing and was reportedly assured it would not.

Is it legal?

But is it legal to dismiss employees on medical or parental leave?

According to Eunice Grace Choong, a certified Institute for Human Resource Professionals senior professional who spoke to The Straits Times, Singapore’s legal framework provides “specific protections” when it comes to retrenchment practices involving employees on medical or parental leave.

Under the Employment Act and Child Development Co-Savings Act, it is unlawful to dismiss employees during their maternity, paternity, or medical leave. 

However, retrenchment after the leave period is “not strictly illegal.” If perceived as discriminatory, affected employees may challenge the decision through channels such as the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management or the Employment Claims Tribunals.

Additionally, the Creative Media and Publishing Union (CMPU), has expressed concerns about the lack of unionisation within Meta. 

However, the CMPU assured affected employees that they would provide support and encouraged them to reach out for assistance. 

In retrenchment exercises where there are individual union members working in non-unionised companies, the National Trades Union Congress’ affiliated unions or associations will extend assistance to these individual members should they be affected by the exercise.

Also Read: Turnover contagion, bad rep, low morale: Why layoffs will only come back to bite tech firms

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