Only one day’s notice: Dyson’s surprise layoff leaves S’porean employees & union blindsided

Dyson has laid off an undisclosed number of workers in Singapore while conducting a “surprise” layoff on October 1, 2024. With a short one-day notice, employees were left shocked and in a state of “low morale”.

The Singapore-headquartered consumer electronics manufacturer performed the retrenchment exercise “very discreetly”, news outlet CNA reported in an article.

Those impacted received a private email notifying them of a one-on-one meeting, an affected employee told CNA.

“Unfortunately, reason given (was) the job is redundant, and we need to pack our things and prepare to leave,” the employee said.

Another employee told the news outlet that those laid off were from the manufacturing and procurement departments.

This round of layoffs comes after Dyson announced on July 9 that it would lay off about 1,000 of its 3,500 staff in Britain as part of global restructuring. At the time, when asked about the fate of its staff in Singapore, the multinational company said then that there would be no direct impact here.

The company employed over 1,920 staff in Singapore as at the end of 2023, after an expansion of head count by 35% that year.

Given that the July retrenchments in Britain were reportedly carried out department by department and over weeks, this might not be the end to the layoffs at Dyson’s Singapore office.

Speaking to CNA, a Dyson spokesperson responded that the company constantly evolves the composition of their teams, taking steps to ensure they have the right skills in the right places.

“Our ambitions in Singapore remain unchanged, and we anticipate that we will continue to grow here in the medium term,” the spokesperson stated.

The union speaks up

The United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI) said in a statement released late on October 1 that it was disappointed the union was given only one day’s notice of the exercise by the company.

This leaves “insufficient time for meaningful discussion between the parties involved”, the union said.

The Straits Times reported that UWEEI stated, “Unionised companies should work with their unions in a timely manner to ensure that a fair and equitable process is carried out to safeguard the interests of all workers, especially our Singaporean core.”

The article also reported that UWEEI has escalated the matter to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

That said, the affected workers actually fall outside UWEEI’s scope of representation under the collective agreement with Dyson. “Nonetheless, UWEEI stands ready to support affected workers,” the union shared.

In response to this, a Dyson spokesperson shared, “Dyson respectfully informed UWEEI in advance. Dyson is following all prevailing guidelines from MOM and providing employees with the support they need, including outplacement services and employment assistance programmes.”

Although the layoff came as a surprise to the employees, the UWEEI will work with the National Trades Union Congress’ Employment and Employability Institute to help match affected workers to employment opportunities. It will also support them with career coaching and job training, where needed.

Its members may tap the Union Training Assistance Programme fund to offset training courses for skills upgrading. It will also assist members who may face financial hardship via its assistance programmes.

Hopefully, with the support, employees at Dyson will feel more at ease despite the layoffs, which may not be over just yet.

Featured Image Credit: Dyson