SINGAPORE: Exxon Mobil Corp expects to cut the number of its employees in Singapore by 10 per cent to 15 per cent and move its office to the site of its Jurong plant from downtown by the end of 2027, the company said on Wednesday (Oct 1).
The plans for ExxonMobil’s Singapore operations come after the US major announced on Tuesday it will lay off 2,000 workers globally, particularly in Canada and across the European Union, as part of a long-term restructuring plan that will affect about 3 per cent to 4 per cent of the company’s workforce .EMPLOYEES NOT SURPRISED
Multiple employees whom CNA approached at ExxonMobil’s offices in HarbourFront declined to talk, saying they had been told not to speak to the media.The plans for ExxonMobil’s Singapore operations come after the US major announced on Tuesday it will lay off 2,000 workers globally, particularly in Canada and across the European Union, as part of a long-term restructuring plan that will affect about 3 per cent to 4 per cent of the company’s workforce.EMPLOYEES NOT SURPRISED
Multiple employees whom CNA approached at ExxonMobil’s offices in HarbourFront declined to talk, saying they had been told not to speak to the media.
One employee, who did not want to be named, said staff were told the layoffs would take place by December at the latest.
Managers said they have not yet planned which roles will be made redundant and which will be moved offshore, such as to India, the employee said.
The announcement did not come as a surprise because staff cuts are already underway in ExxonMobil’s global operations, he said.
On Monday, Canada’s Imperial Oil, which is majority owned by ExxonMobil, announced it would cut 20 per cent of its workforce by 2027.
There have been “rumours” of layoffs in the Singapore offices. Managers expected it but were only informed on Tuesday night that they would need to communicate it to their staff, according to the employee.
The mood in the office on Wednesday was not sombre, he added, but employees had questions – for example, whether they can volunteer to take a severance package. They were told this would not be allowed.
The employee CNA spoke to said he felt Singapore has “lost its shine” as an oil and gas hub. Given the current uncertainty around the Singapore layoffs, he said he would adopt a “wait and see” approach for now.
