SG Talk

Are workers just numbers? Here's what happens behind closed doors when companies retrench

Companies laying off workers — such as Lazada — have been a cause of worry in recent times. In a special forum, the programme Talking Point uncovers the inner workings of these retrenchment exercises.



https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insi...ts-4180936

(10-03-2024, 02:16 PM)Stoki Wrote: [ -> ]Are workers just numbers? Here's what happens behind closed doors when companies retrench

Companies laying off workers — such as Lazada — have been a cause of worry in recent times. In a special forum, the programme Talking Point uncovers the inner workings of these retrenchment exercises.



https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insi...ts-4180936

This is a very lousy program and I didn't get anything useful at all about the supposed "inner workings" behind retrenchment. The circumstances behind each retrenchment exercise can be very different depending on the company, finance, goals of restructuring, organization structure, the type of people, the scope etc. I'm not sure if it's so easy to generalize across the board.

The interviewed "insiders" don't seem like the kind who are actually involved in retrenchment planning either. There's a guy who is supposedly an angel investor, that means his job is to manage an investment portfolio of early startups - maybe some of the invested companies might retrench, but they generally wouldn't involve minority non-executive shareholders for such ordinary business decisions.

Another guy who claims to be a HR practioner of 18 years might be involved in the execution of retrenchments i.e. issuing letters, doing announcements, providing data to senior management for analysis, collating staff performance reports, pacifying / communicating to staff etc.

But in most companies HR is mainly administrative in nature and only a minority of companies might engage a senior executive level HR person during retrenchment planning. Unless this guy is at that level I doubt he knows much either. So far from what he says, I don't detect any sense he is that sort of senior strategic level HR person.

That lawyer is there just to provide some legal context of the Employment Act, he certainly has no clue on any inner workings of how companies decide who, when, how and to what extent to retrench either. 

The rest of the comments are mainly just complains and grouses from retrenched workers, some of their feedback could be relevant, but they do not offer any insights on how retrenchments are planned and executed either.

Cheaper, Better, Faster.

Our Finance Manager was asked to go and we were shocked. I guess she has been skiving for past one year and thus, terminated.

(10-03-2024, 02:16 PM)Stoki Wrote: [ -> ]If a company is in a “big storm” and has “not been captained well”, then “everything is on the table” 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insi...ts-4180936

Why does this sound like S'pore in turbulent times when the Management sacrifices the staff?

(10-03-2024, 03:06 PM)[[ForeverAlone]] Wrote: [ -> ]Cheaper, Better, Faster.

1. Cheaper? Not always true. 
2. Better? Definitely not! 
3. Faster? Perhaps true when it comes to shifting the blame.

(10-03-2024, 03:13 PM)Wy:Nox Wrote: [ -> ]Our Finance Manager was asked to go and we were shocked. I guess she has been skiving for past one year and thus, terminated.

It is a myth that poor performers will get the axe during a retrenchment exercise. I know of talented employees who were let go because their entire dept was shutdown, they were deemed a threat to their boss or simply because the decision-maker would rather lay him/her off than a less competent crony.

(10-03-2024, 02:16 PM)Stoki Wrote: [ -> ]Are workers just numbers? Here's what happens behind closed doors when companies retrench  Companies laying off workers — such as Lazada — have been a cause of worry in recent times. In a special forum, the programme Talking Point uncovers the inner workings of these retrenchment exercises.

There are employers who would much rather force a significant number of staff to resign in lieu of retrenchment in order not to shake investor confidence or give the impression that the company is in dire straits. 

(10-03-2024, 02:45 PM)maxsanic Wrote: [ -> ]This is a very lousy program and I didn't get anything useful at all about the supposed "inner workings" behind retrenchment. The circumstances behind each retrenchment exercise can be very different depending on the company, finance, goals of restructuring, organization structure, the type of people, the scope etc. I'm not sure if it's so easy to generalize across the board.

It is not uncommon to hear of employers preferring to pressure workers to resign by making conditions unbearable at the office. Few bosses relish the thought of formally terminating a subordinate, no matter how justifiable the case may be. Watching co-workers get laid off has a negative impact on the morale of the remaining staff. Employers often choose to adopt unscrupulous means to compel employees to quit so that internal administrative processes, legal exposure that may arise from dismissing workers and paying costly severance compensation may be avoided. A publicly-listed company that lays off a significant number of its workforce in one fell swoop may also shake the confidence of investors and shareholders. With more companies resisting issuance of official termination notices, the number of retrenchments are understandably underreported. 

(10-03-2024, 03:19 PM)EvertonDiehard Wrote: [ -> ]1. Cheaper? Not always true. 
2. Better? Definitely not! 
3. Faster? Perhaps true when it comes to shifting the blame.

actually now Foreigner talents benefit MORE , Recently MOM set new rules for employer come foreigner talents. They pay increase min like must be above 5k ++ from previous I forget how much.

(10-03-2024, 02:16 PM)Stoki Wrote: [ -> ]Companies laying off workers — such as Lazada — have been a cause of worry in recent times. In a special forum, the programme Talking Point uncovers the inner workings of these retrenchment exercises.

This Talking Point forum is like a bikini: What it reveals is interesting. What it conceals is fascinating!

I have been waiting for 10 years

for PAP Ministers to be retrenched

4 Mayors, 20 State Ministers and 25 JLB

(10-03-2024, 03:55 PM)EvertonDiehard Wrote: [ -> ]It is not uncommon to hear of employers preferring to pressure workers to resign by making conditions unbearable at the office. Few bosses relish the thought of formally terminating a subordinate, no matter how justifiable the case may be. Watching co-workers get laid off has a negative impact on the morale of the remaining staff. Employers often choose to adopt unscrupulous means to compel employees to quit so that internal administrative processes, legal exposure that may arise from dismissing workers and paying costly severance compensation may be avoided. A publicly-listed company that lays off a significant number of its workforce in one fell swoop may also shake the confidence of investors and shareholders. With more companies resisting issuance of official termination notices, the number of retrenchments are understandably underreported. 

From my own experience, although this sort of informal forcing of employees to resign happens quite often, it usually only applies for small scale manpower tweaks.

For enterprise level reorganization, especially those across multiple geographies and business units, this sort of penny wise and pound foolish approach does not work and companies know that. One might save some small bucks in terms of retrenchment package, but the speed and uncertainty of such an approach and also its organizational wide repercussions on other existing staff is usually not worth the effort.

When I saw the headline and intro of the CNA article, I was hoping they were going to interview senior business leaders of Group Excos or at the very least, Country Leadership Teams. These are the real decision makers who decide which departments / business units to cut, what sort of criteria to select who to cut, what sort of retrenchment package to offer, how to announce and communicate, how to engage tripartite / unions, how to pacify retrenched and existing workers etc.

Instead what we got as insiders were an angel investor, a lawyer and a HR Manager (?). These are not the key decision makers.

In Thailand, employees must be informed at least one month before they are retrenched; and in South Korea, at least 30 days before. In the United States, employees must be notified 60 days before in the case of mass layoffs.

In Singapore, a day’s notice is required for workers with less than 26 weeks of service, and four weeks’ notice for those who have worked five years or more.

Thailand and South Korea also have severance pay laws. Singapore does not, and retrenchment benefits are backed only by guidelines in the tripartite advisory issued by the MOM, NTUC and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).






the above tell you singapore overpaid PAP ministers do not care about workers and worker laid off
they only care about companies

(10-03-2024, 11:52 PM)grotesqueness Wrote: [ -> ]In Thailand, employees must be informed at least one month before they are retrenched; and in South Korea, at least 30 days before. In the United States, employees must be notified 60 days before in the case of mass layoffs. In Singapore, a day’s notice is required for workers with less than 26 weeks of service, and four weeks’ notice for those who have worked five years or more.Thailand and South Korea also have severance pay laws. Singapore does not, and retrenchment benefits are backed only by guidelines in the tripartite advisory issued by the MOM, NTUC and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF). the above tell you singapore overpaid PAP ministers do not care about workers and worker laid off
they only care about companies

The SG govt calls itself pro-business. That simply means it is pro-employer and anti-employee. Workers only receive lip service about our leaders looking into their welfare and protecting them from workplace discrimination.  

(11-03-2024, 07:33 AM)EvertonDiehard Wrote: [ -> ]The SG govt calls itself pro-business. That simply means it is pro-employer and anti-employee. Workers only receive lip service about our leaders looking into their welfare and protecting them from workplace discrimination.  

Indeed take the Taylor swift concert it is pro business 🤠

retrench jio retrench lor, MYBFD.

(10-03-2024, 03:19 PM)EvertonDiehard Wrote: [ -> ]1. Cheaper? Not always true. 
2. Better? Definitely not! 
3. Faster? Perhaps true when it comes to shifting the blame.

We only embrace and welcome smelly ahnehs and all their village peepur