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SINGAPORE: In May, Nicholas (not his genuine name), 27, won an email from the food and beverage company (F
The human resources department’s email indicated that the final corporate and that it had been fired with immediate effect.
“The CEO didn’t even leave a note through WhatsApp,” Nicholas said.”Naturally, many point-of-sale workers were disappointed that they were already on unpaid leave and waiting for the circuit breaker to end so they could get back to work.”
As Nicholas had only worked for the company for a year and a half, he made no profit, which was granted only to those who had worked for two years or more.
Similarly, Daniel (not his genuine name), 26, lost his task before this year.
By mid-January, he had effectively finished a six-month trial era as an account manager at an online agency, but only a few weeks later, in early February, he was summoned to his principal’s office.
“We all thought (my manager) wanted to tell us something about the job …none of us suspected anything,” Daniel said.
Instead, he said the company was “in restructuring” and that he and several colleagues would be fired on the same day.You would be paid for a month’s gardening license, but no other benefits were offered.
“My brain empties and I may feel the tears coming out almost from my eyes,” he said.
Amid the existing economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, staff reports such as Daniel and Nicholas are not unique: in other sectors, especially those most affected by the crisis, many employees are ignored and for some, in a probably insensitive way.
However, the employers interviewed noted that they had laid off staff as a last hotel and had used unconventional strategies due to the control measures in place.
The one-time corporate owner who laid off five of his workers in early June stated that he had to conduct the training via video conference due to Phase 1 post-circuit breaker restrictions.
“I’m very transparent … I told them that our source of income had fallen from 90 to 95%.
“When I had to tell them that we had to (let go of the staff), it was heartbreaking …some staff members had been with us for five, six years,” said the owner, who is about 30 years old.
While COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on economies around the world, adding Singapore, unemployment and staff reductions on the island continued in the last quarter of this year, i.e. in the sectors most affected by the pandemic, such as aviation, hotels and F
Reduction of personnel greater than 108 consistent with penny to 6,700 between April and June, with 3,220 in the first 3 months of the year, according to initial estimates through the Ministry of Labour (MOM) in July.
In his message to the national holiday on August 9, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that with the closure of businesses, staff reductions and unemployment are likely to increase in the coming months.
However, he added that the government is actively helping others find new jobs and new skills, and that “employers will also have to do everything they can to maintain their staff and not let them down at the first sign of trouble.”
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat is expected to factor out a ministerial meeting to provide key points on how the government will continue to help staff and businesses.
Writing on Facebook this week, Mr. Heng said the government will continue to supply products aimed at the most affected sectors, adding that it will help them “pivot to new opportunities” in areas of expansion.
He added: “But we are not able to maintain the same point indefinitely.As more and more sectors gradually reopen, we will need to evolve and decrease as expected.”
HOW WILL THE NUMBER OF RETRENCIES INCREASE?
MOM’s initial estimates for the last quarter of this year showed that the production and services sectors experienced a sharp increase in reduction.
While the production sector experienced an increase from 720 staff discounts in the first quarter to 1,600 in the current quarter, increasing through the corresponding 2,360 to 4,600.
Service industries such as retail, catering, hospitality, transportation and recreational services.
Although there was relatively little news about primary reduction training in Singapore during the first months of the pandemic, the end of the era of automatic switches saw several corporations – basically the service sector severely affected – in the headlines with their layoff announcements.
In June, kid-pooling and corporate school KidZania Singapore announced that they would stop working here.
In July, Resorts World Sentosa and professional networking site LinkedIn allegedly fired staff, followed by aerospace corporations like Pratt.
While more layoffs can be expected, mainly in the most affected industries, the number is likely to be lower than some experts had predicted in the past.
Irvin Seah, senior economist at DBS Bank, who predicted in April that there could be only 45,600 layoffs until the end of the year, said the cut figures would likely be softened through measures contracted through the government.
They come with the Job Support Scheme (JSS), which has helped subsidize wages, allowing corporations to retain staff on difficult business conditions.
But Seah said it’s hard to find an accurate figure now “because the total crisis continues.”
Okay, OCBC bank economist Selena Ling, who also predicted 4 months ago that this year’s layoffs could be successful at 65,000, said that in addition to JSS, there were also other “soft” measures that could help decrease.dismissals, however, would be difficult to estimate a figure.
“There has also been a lot of ethical persuasion (by the authorities) that if corporations want to lay off (workers), they deserve to protect the core of Singapore,” he said.
Mr. Seah said that the mitigating effects of JSS will be felt in all sectors.
He said the program had helped save jobs in the dining and retail sectors, which were most affected by the automatic switch period.These sectors had recovered slightly since June, when restrictions were lifted.
“(But) there are industries where the effect of the pandemic is more sustainable, such as the hotel and aviation industries,” he said.”In these areas, the effectiveness of JSS is limited through its duration.”
Under the JSS, which must be stopped this month unless it is extended, the government will co-finance between 25% and 75% of the first S$4,600 of an employee’s gross monthly salary, with 3 major bills in April, July and October.
“We expanded the JSS, but we adopted a more specific technique in which the extension only affects some of the most affected industries,” Mr. Yeah said.
Ms. Ling said: “After August, the question is whether corporations that expect the call not to accumulate in particular Array …Then you may have a lot of them who will throw in the towel.”
“I think (the reduction) is probably due to construction and whether we are encouraged depends on whether lawmakers increase or some of the existing political support,” he said.
If the measures are expanded, the relief figures for the year “could be lower” than its initial prediction of 65,000, he added.
The Asian currency crisis of 1997 and 1998 resulted in some 30,000 staff reductions, while the global currency crisis of 2008 and 2009 resulted in some 40,000 jobs.
In the first two quarters of this year, there have already been about 10,000 layoffs.
IMPACT ON GIG’S ECONOMY
Even if the reduction figures increase, the official figures would possibly not give a full picture, as they do not come with corporations with fewer than 25 employees or employees involved in the small business economy, economists said.
According to MOM’s staff reports, in 2016 200,100 citizens were self-employed.
By 2019, this figure had increased to 211,000, or 8.8% of the country’s workforce.Of this group, more than consistent with the percentage he made concerts or contract paintings as his main work.
However, the pandemic has dealt another blow to the jobs economy, economists said: many interim staff members, such as independent artists, artists, tour guides and personal drivers, have noticed a decline in their income in particular or that their employment opportunities have run out.
A personal driver, who knew himself alone as Mr Ang, said he had noticed his income falling by 60% to the days before the pandemic.
He now earns about S$1,500 a month and works 12 hours a day.It is also based on the income source relief program for the self-employed, in which eligible self-employed staff will get 3 quarterly money bills totaling S$9,000.to receive monetary assistance to pay your child’s school fees.
“It’s the only way to earn as little as possible,” said the 56-year-old, who became a personal driving force after being fired from a production company two years ago.
Maybank economist Kim Eng Chua Hak Bin noted that some small business economy staff members, however, can still thrive in this period, such as those who paint in food delivery and those who can contribute their online experience, such as teachers..
A DEEPER AND WIDER RECESSION
The hope that the cuts are likely to accumulate comes from the severe intensity of the existing recession, which is expected to be longer than those experienced in Singapore, the Asian currency crisis and the global currency crisis.
On 11 August, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said Singapore’s economy fell 13.2% in the last quarter of the year last year, when the country entered its worst recession since independence.
Based on an initial projection that GDP will decline between four and 7 cents, MTI has lowered its forecast to a five- to 7-cent contraction this year.
Mr. Seah said, “We believe that expansion will not return to positive grades until next year’s quarter.”
He added: “Real GDP (gross domestic product) will return to pre-COVID grades until the end of next year.”
The current economic crisis is expected to last 24 months, yes.By comparison, the Asian currency crisis and the global monetary crisis lasted between 18 and 19 months.
With such a long war to come, Dr. Chua said the government even has to think twice before saving some corporations that don’t see the call to return in the coming years.
“The most affected sectors, such as airlines and hotels and recreation, can take 3 to 4 years to return to pre-pandemic levels.
“I don’t think it’s sensible (that the authorities) keep expanding the rescue channels, so we’re going to see more corporations cutting jobs,” he said.
The effect of the existing recession will be deeper and broader than past recessions, economists reiterated.
On the one hand, the crisis has affected every single corner of the world, not only through reduced demand, but also by affecting global supply chains, with restrictions imposed through countries around the world.
“(COVID-19) tests the tension of its entire economy in terms of self-sufficiency in critical components,” Ling said.”When (global) font chains collapse, even if you are on demand, you may not have the source.”
This is not like the global monetary crisis, which began in the US monetary sector and has had a domino effect in Singapore, it is also different from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis in 2003, which largely focused on Asia.
“For this pandemic, we are all at the center,” said Dr. Chua.
The severity of the crisis also means that sectors experiencing an uptick in transitoryness, after the reopening of their economies through Singapore and other countries, are not immune to layoffs.
For example, the recent increase in demand in the retail, dining and entertainment sectors may not last if the economy continues to fall further and others start tightening their belts again.
“If working customers continue to deteriorate, this will have a side effect on domestic intake and now in segments such as catering and retail,” he said.
He noted that any sector that depended on discretionary spending could see more cuts in the coming months.They come with entertainment and recreational services, as well as industries that deal with expensive parts like automobiles and real estate.
“People will do it twice before making these kinds of purchases,” he added.
SOME AREAS THAT MIGHT BE SAFE
While the big picture remains bleak, economists have known several industries that would be in the midst of the pandemic.The biomedical and pharmaceutical industries have noticed an increase in demand for physique care supplies, the e-commerce industry that has benefited from the distance measures, and safe segments of the generation industry, as more and more people are putting their businesses and daily activities online.
However, other industries will want to expand and adapt to long-term uncertainties that await government support, economists warned.
“At the end of the day … it is the survival of the fittest, and the fittest are the ones who must adapt and grow,” Mr. Yeah said.
THE PAIN OF LOSING YOUR JOB
In addition to Daniel and Nicholas, we spoke to five other people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic and most refused to be identified.
One of them, a former Pratt worker
As one of more than 400 employees laid off on August 3, he said that while he knew it was due to the pandemic, the news “remained painful.”
The 49-year-old man, who has three children over the age of 12 to 24, said he had his circle of relatives first and foremost in his brain when he heard the news.
“This is the fear of all the unemployed: putting food for the family circle on the table, but we can’t do anything at the moment, just wait, stay and look for work,” he said.
He had been in the aerospace company for five years and, fortunately, his wife works at an e-commerce company, something he’s been doing well lately, he said.
However, it will look for a task in the booming pharmaceutical industry, but it can only be a personal driving force if it fails.
Another former Pratt employee
He said the workers piled up in the lobthrough, where the general manager informed them about the company’s losses.They were then divided into separate small groups, each led by a human resources staff member, who informed workers about why they were fired and would receive them.
“When we were informed, they were very sensitive to what was going on,” the 33-year-old said.”We won one month’s pay for each year of service, and they even went down to two decimal places.”
Although he neglected the day he reported, he earned a month more salary instead of notice, which meant his severance pay was 8 months’ salary, as he was in the company for seven years.
He added that the Institute for Employment and Employability (e2i) reimbursements provided the training to present employment opportunities of choice, and that his manager had also stayed until after writing a letter forwarding offers.
NOT ALL COURTS ARE WELL MANAGED
Unlike Pratt’s former employees
A former allocation manager at a game progression company, who sought to be known only as Mr. Wong, said he reported his retirement in late May, just four days before the fiscal year.
The 37-year-old man won the news for a chat service that his company used as a communication channel while on the way home.He said he had not made any profit while he was going to the company for nine and a half years.
“A realization of more than 4 days would have helped, even if I don’t know the whole story, so I can’t judge,” Mr Wong said.
For Nicholas, who fired his catering business by email, he said the company had not laid off staff in this way before the pandemic.
“There is an adequate layoff and a process of disengagement.However, for COVID-19, everyone runs from home or on leave without pay,” he said.
“What could have been done to send WhatsApp emails and messages to everyone, especially the point of sale staff, who did not have a corporate email address.”
On behalf of employers, they said the staff reduction procedure was less private due to COVID-19 restrictions, as well as the increasing number of staff reduction training they had to undertake.
An employer who oversees the firing procedure at a multinational electronics company said HR would read the bad news to painters via video conference as they paint from home.
From there, the workers will have a few hours to pack all the corporate apparatus they have with them, and a courier service will be hired to pick them up at home.
“In the past, the fired worker came to the office and was there to communicate with them face to face. Normally, the manager will offer them new vacancies,” he said.
“But not in this situation, because opportunities are missing.”
POST-CIRCUIT CIRCUIT BREAKER, WORKERS MUST BE INFORMED IN PERSON: MOM
In response to questions, a MOM spokesperson reiterated that employers are doing their part to ensure that the downsizing is carried out “with sensitivity, dignity and compassion.”
“This includes how affected workers are informed and the kind of information they get next,” the spokesman said.
Although the employer would likely contractually fire a worker on a wage instead of doing it, employers are encouraged to give workers more awareness when they make layoffs.
There are also few cases where employers rent security guards to escort a worker out of the workplace.”Such practices are insensitive and unjustified,” the spokesman said.
While the news of the dismissal had to be transmitted remotely to the circuit breaker’s workers, the spokesman stated that after the circuit breaker, “this news deserves to be delivered in person, with appropriate security estrangation measures.”
Employers also help affected workers look for jobs of choice.They can leverage the resources provided through agencies such as Workforce Singapore and e2i.
The MMM spokesman reiterated that employers adhere to the tripartite view on surplus labour control and guilty dismissal, which was updated in March to provide clearer guidance on savings measures and inspire education and worker development.
“It is imperative that employers act responsibly in taking action that may be just an employee’s livelihood,” the spokesman said.
“Employers found to be irresponsible or unfair in their work practices, whether cost-cutting measures or redundancies, may be denied the government in the long term or their painting privileges will be suspended.”
Sim Gim Guan, executive director of the National Federation of Employers of Singapore, under pressure that, regardless of the limits induced by COVID-19, staff reduction deserves to be the last resort.
By urging employers to conduct redundancy training in a “responsible and sensitive” manner, Sim stated that, for example, employers deserve the company’s business scenario to the workers concerned.They also deserve to describe how the staff reduction work will be carried out.and specify the assistance to be provided to those affected.
“(Employers) deserve to keep in mind that it has an effect on laid-off workers and those who will stay,” Sim said.”This is vital to managing staff morale and retaining other workers.”
UNION SUPPORT
In response to questions, Cham Hui Fong, Under-Secretary-General of the National Congress of Trade Unions (NTUC), that while trade union members of non-unionized companies can also seek NTUC’s help, the benefits of being in a unionized company are “more important.”.
“The union is identified and empowered to become labor and employment issues, to negotiate with corporations on all trade issues, adding cuts and benefits,” he said.
Union leaders representing staff in the severely affected sectors said their unions were working with unionized corporations to minimize layoffs and have an effect on employees.
Singapore Industry and Services Employees Union (SISEU) President Sazali Zainal said his union will work with unionized aerospace corporations “to take the necessary steps to lower prices and save jobs while maintaining a long-term vision in labor terms.needs.”
Mr. Tan Hock Soon, General Secretary of the Food, Beverage and Related Products Workers’ Union (FDAWU), said that he “remains in close contact with our unionized corporations to explore other cost-cutting measures before resorting to staff reduction that can only be considered as a last resort.”
For the production sector, Mr. Melvin Yong, executive secretary of the Union of Electronic and Electrical Industry Workers (UWEEI), said the union “works with our corporate control partners on their recruitment and education needs.”
“In addition, for union members whose profits may have declined, for example due to reduced overtime, UWEEI also helps them through the NTUC Care Fund (COVID-19), which provides eligible members with monetary assistance of up to S$300.”Mr. UWEEI said. Yong, who is also a member of Parliament for Radin Mas.
Cham said that if layoffs were inevitable, unions will ensure that the variety criteria for redundancies are fair and will work with corporations to examine the list of staff laid off to the core of Singapore.
Unions will work with e2i and the NTUC Employment Security Council to plan internships for fired painters, he added.
“While we hope to resolve business and union unrest, we are in a position to take action against corporations if the need arises,” Cham added.
This can take the form of a claim or take the case to MOM or the Industrial Arbitration Court.
HAVING LOST THEIR JOBS, SOME HAVE ONLY
Almost all of the dismissed staff interviewed have discovered a full-time job, and some work part-time to survive.
After being fired from a corporate position at a hotel in June, Alyssa (not her genuine name) implemented the jobs “aggressively.”
The 29-year-old has gone to 10 interviews, but has yet to win a job. It has been implemented for positions in the generation and fitness sectors, but he feels that he is “only applying for jobs that I think I am qualified for, with no genuine sense of direction.”
Lately he works part-time in sales making plans at a small local commercial company and earns $120 a week, about 90% less than he earned in his previous job.
“I don’t think S$120 a week is enough to get me out of this, (but) I have savings to turn to,” he said.
Daniel, who was fired from the online agency, has also been working part-time at security company Certis since February, where he is helping to call other quarantined people to verify his tactile information.
He worked 4 12-hour days a week, recovering between 80 and 90 of his previous salary.
However, he knows that the position is not permanent and is for a full-time job.
“As long as it’s something I think I can do and have fun with what they’re looking for, I’m just applying,” he said.
While most of the fired staff interviewed only began looking for a task after receiving the pink note, Frederick (not his genuine name), a senior aerospace technician, said he began looking for some other task in March., before that everything was fired in July.
Seeing writing on the wall for his industry, he implemented the aerospace sector for outdoor corporations, such as in the biomedical and semiconductor fields.
In July, the 34-year-old man was assigned a task at a local infocomm generation company as an associate engineer, which is his previous salary.
“One of the reasons I looked for an assignment so early is that I don’t need to gamble on locating an assignment while living off the money from the reduction program,” said Frederick, who has a two-year-old son.
LOOKING FOR A NEW START? HERE’S SOME HELP:
For staff who have been laid off, there are several grants and government projects to succeed over this era and find employment.
Grants and funds
More main points here.
Programs and initiatives
Full-time schooling systems lasting six to 12 months, adding courses in higher education institutes and cet centers.
Interns can participate in immersion and commercial projects to apply the skills acquired.
They will get a subsidy of S $1,200 per month for the duration of the systems in which they participate.
More main points here.
These are aimed at professionals, managers, managers and technicians (PMET), to go through a conversion of skills to evolve in occupations or sectors with clients and opportunities for progression.
There are two modalities for laid-off workers:
– Place-and-train, where SMETs are hired through an employer prior to receiving education to take on a new role.
– Attach and train, where SMEs obtain and paint attachments prior to placement through business partners in developing sectors.
More main points here.
It helps staff obtain industry-relevant delights through internships so they can work on permanent tasks. Mid-career task seekers can apply for more than 13,000 trading positions.
The annexes under this program will last between 4 and nine months, and participants will receive a monthly education grant of between S$1,400 and S$3,000, 80% of which will be funded through the Government.
More main points here.
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