We. Communications has laid off 7% of its Singapore headcount while salary reviews and bonuses stand suspended until mid-2026, as part of a broader cost realignment.
The retrenchments on September 25 impacted eight employees across creative, digital, PR, operations and special projects. According to The Straits Times , the creative team lost nearly half its headcount.
In a statement issued to Campaign Asia-Pacific, a We Communications spokesperson said:
“Our priority is to support affected colleagues with care and respect. This includes strong references, access to job search resources through government initiatives, optional reduced-capacity contracts, and ongoing assistance from our HR team.
“We have followed the responsible retrenchment recommendations outlined by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and have provided severance packages that go above local requirements to ease the transition. We continue to maintain a significant presence in Singapore, and are committed to serving our clients and investing in our long-term future here.”
The restructuring comes barely a week after Agoda, which let go of 50 employees in Singapore and drew flak for how it handled the exercise. In that case, severance documents initially told workers not to approach MOM, Tafep or trade unions under threat of losing benefits. After the issue blew up in the local press and political circles, Agoda acknowledged this was “inappropriate for employers to include provisions that discourage or inhibit employees from approaching trade unions, government agencies or statutory bodies for all situations.” It has, since then, aligned the retrenchment norms with industry guidelines.
The Singapore government has repeatedly stressed that employers must not prevent staff from seeking union or regulatory support, even as companies tighten belts in a choppy economy.
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