SINGAPORE, Sept 2 — Dyson — famous for its bagless vacuum cleaners, among other gadgets — carried out unexpected layoffs in Singapore yesterday, leaving employees shocked and in a state of "low morale”.

The layoffs, described as a "surprise” by affected workers, come three months after Dyson stated that Singapore, where its global headquarters are located, would not be directly impacted by a previous global restructuring exercise that cut around 1,000 jobs in the UK.

"All of a sudden, people were grabbing their bags. I assumed they were heading to meetings in other offices, but... they were actually leaving,” one employee asking for anonymity told CNA, noting that the office atmosphere had been "solemn” throughout the day.

"People are shocked and have low morale, as they aren’t sure when their turn might come,” the employee added.

According to another laid-off employee who spoke to CNA anonymously, the retrenchment exercise was conducted discreetly, with impacted employees receiving an email inviting them to a "one-on-one” meeting.

"The HR representative will be in the room. Unfortunately, the reason given (was) the job is redundant, and we need to pack our things and prepare to leave,” said the employee.

"We won't know who was called into the room ... (I) saw lots of envelopes.”

They noted that the layoffs primarily affected the manufacturing and procurement departments, though the total number of those let go remains unclear.

Employees at Dyson’s Singapore office are concerned that yesterday’s layoffs might not be the final ones.

The anonymous employee mentioned to CNA that the retrenchments in Britain last July occurred "department by department and over a few weeks.”

Dyson previously conducted layoffs at its development centre in Johor Baru, but the retrenchments in Singapore caught employees by surprise, especially after the company announced plans to increase its investments in the country.

In response to questions from CNA, a Dyson spokesperson said, "We constantly evolve the composition of our teams and take steps to ensure we 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.”

Dyson did not provide further details on how many employees were affected or how the company is supporting those laid off.

The United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI), a union affiliated with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said, "UWEEI was disappointed that the union was only given one day’s notice of the retrenchment exercise, leaving insufficient time for meaningful discussion between both parties.

"UWEEI has escalated the matter to the Ministry of Manpower (MoM),” the union added.

While noting that those retrenched "fall outside its scope of representation under the collective agreement with Dyson”, the union said it "stands ready to support affected workers”, adding that affected workers may contact UWEEI for assistance.

In response to the union’s statement, Dyson stated that it had "respectfully informed UWEEI in advance” and that the company was following all guidelines from MoM while providing support to affected employees, including outplacement services and employment assistance programmes.

Dyson, founded by British billionaire and inventor James Dyson, has been in Singapore for more than a decade, opening its global head office in the country in 2019.

The company is involved in research, engineering, advanced manufacturing, and supply chain operations in Singapore, producing patented digital motors, air purifiers and other appliances.

As of end-2023, Dyson employed more than 1,920 people in Singapore.

According to Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB), Dyson maintains a "significant presence” in the country and will work with government agencies to assist affected employees.

This includes helping workers find new jobs with companies that require their skillsets and expertise.