M1 cuts staff as company ramps up digitalisation

Employees leaving the company represent 1.6% of the headcount.

M1 has laid off about 50 of its employees as it ramps up its digitalisation push, the company stated.

The employees were informed of the change in February 2020. Half were offered roles with an outsourced vendor that works with the company.

The remaining employees leaving the company over the next few months represent about 1.6% of the company’s headcount, according to M1.

“With the new organisation structure and ways of working, some new roles have been created, some existing roles outsourced or redesigned, and some positions have been made redundant,” M1 said in a statement.

M1 added that it is working with the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union (SISEU) to ensure fair treatment and compensation package for all affected employees. SISEU and relevant authorities have been notified of the matter since late 2019, the statement added.

“Both the union and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) have been duly consulted, and all the departures have been carried out in accordance with Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Retrenchment,” added M1.

The telco also said that it is extending support to displaced employees, which include outplacement support and training programmes through collaboration with NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute), Workforce Singapore and IMDA.