SINGAPORE: When Dyson conducted” shock” layoffs , in Singapore last year, it received a reprimand from the coalition representing its employees about the one-day see it gave to tell the union of the downsizing.
Although the customer appliances company complied with the law, business analysts told CNA that the way the layoffs were conducted may have had an impact on its popularity.
According to Professor Lawrence Loh of the National University of Singapore ( NUS) Business School,” It is not just about the letter of the law, but also the spirit of being a good employer.” The company  , needs to upkeep its broader reputation” . ,
Because Dyson claimed in July that the Singapore company would not be directly affected by task cuts in Britain, people were probably caught off guard.
” What the company says at that point in time is appropriate, it had , no programs”, Prof Loh said. ” But when ( the announcement ) comes — 24 hours, one email, one meeting — you’re out”.
With only one week notice, the federation had no time to engage the events for discussions , or to find a better way to handle the cuts.
According to Prof Loh, Dyson should n’t have “skimped on this last mile,” especially considering that in 2022 the company moved its headquarters from the United Kingdom to Singapore.
The United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries ‘ notice period was negotiable, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower ( MOM), because the retrenched employees were not unionized.
The technology industry’s representative,  , reported last week that the union’s representative was reportedly receiving a settlement offer of one month’s pay for each year they worked.
But, it claimed to be uncertain whether the package had a cap and that it had not been given more details about the affected employees ‘ identities from Dyson.
The firm claimed to have “respectfully informed” the coalition in progress and that it was adhering to MOM’s prevailing rules.
In Singapore, the magnification are not good for Dyson, Prof Loh said, noting that its “overall brand” — as a business with some buyer products for sale — may be affected.
For “business reasons that only the company can answer,” said Assistant Professor Jared Nai, who teaches organizational behavior and human resources at the Singapore Management University ( SMU),  .
These actions “do damage the morale of its existing employees and the status of the company with upcoming potential employees,” he continued, noting that the compensation is comparable to the recommended norm.
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), a top affiliate at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), stated that the organization wants to become informed by businesses before they retrench employees, not because it wants to interfere with a control choice, but because it wants to assist them in finding new jobs or offer support in different way.
Dr. Chew, who has written publications about collectivism and labor policy in Singapore, suggested that the Singapore National Employers Federation may also play a role because businesses may feel more connected to the union than NTUC and MOM.
LAYOFFS IN FOREIGN Corporations
The electronics workers ‘ union reported that Dyson’s case had been escalated to MOM, making Dyson the second foreign company to be subject to a ministry-related retrenchment investigation this year.  ,
After the e-commerce firm retrenched its employees without notifying or consulting the union, the Food Drinks and Allied Workers Union escalated the situation to MOM in January.
But, experts said , it is not that unusual companies do not understand or had trouble , going along with the nature of tripartism in Singapore— where unions, employers and the federal labor up.
” I do n’t think it’s a systemic problem, as of now”, Prof Loh said. ” It’s circumstance by situation”.