Sudden layoffs at large, tech-based companies aren’t uncommon these days. Employees at the Singapore office of e-commerce platform Lazada became the latest victims of such job cuts.
Various reports detail how the news shocked staff, who received them within the first few days of the new year.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson merely revealed that the retrenchments are a way to streamline the company’s work processes to meet future business needs.
News of the layoffs first made its way to The Edge Singapore, which reported that employees received calendar invites at the end of the work day on Tuesday (2 Jan) for 1-on-1 meetings with Lazada’s human resource (HR) department the next day.
The HR department had apparently booked meeting rooms for the rest of the work week, implying that the layoffs could continue.
Source: Google Maps
Meanwhile, citing a source with “direct knowledge of the matter”, CNBC reported that the reductions affected Lazada employees across Southeast Asia. However, they hit the Singapore office the hardest.
Across the board, affected staff possibly number in the hundreds, with other sources telling Channel NewsAsia (CNA) that some departments lost the majority of their manpower.
Like The Edge Singapore’s report, interviewees shared with CNA that back-to-back bookings for meeting rooms had been made for the occasion.
Quoting a spokesperson from the Lazada Singapore office, CNBC wrote that the company is making changes to its workforce “to better position itself (ourselves) for a more agile, streamlined way of working to meet future business needs.”
To make such a change possible, they need to assess workforce requirements and operational structure. Doing so will help put Lazada in a better position to “future-proof” its business and people.
CNBC’s source additionally disclosed that the layoffs affect all functions including:
According to The Straits Times (ST), Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) is working with Lazada and relevant government agencies to help staff who’ve lost their jobs.
They will collaborate to assist these individuals with finding alternative employment.
At the time of writing, Lazada has yet to explain its reason for the latest round of layoffs. Neither has the company revealed how many employees have been affected.
Also read: Shopee Cuts S’pore Jobs In Another Round Of Layoffs, Will Support Employees During Transition
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
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