SINGAPORE: Artificial intelligence may have made workflows smoother and faster, but it has also quietly pushed people out of jobs, especially in the tech sector, leaving many workers wondering when their turn might come.
Recently, a Singapore-based employee took to Reddit to vent, saying this is not some distant trend but something already unfolding right inside their own company.
In their post on the r/askSingapore forum, they said their company has been cutting staff across the board, affecting juniors, peers at the same level, and even senior managers. According to them, no group seems protected anymore.
The employee added that it is not just their workplace. They claimed they have also seen “executive-level” employees across both SMEs and MNCs getting the chop
“At this point, it doesn’t seem to matter how experienced or ‘valuable’ you are,” they wrote, suggesting that performance and loyalty no longer offer much security.
“Recently, our SG head (~15 years with the company) was ruthlessly let go. The global CEO was in town, asked him out for coffee at 5 PM… and within ~15 minutes, he was told he was terminated on the spot. We found out through his Teams status later that evening and confirmed it a few days later when he told us.”
While acknowledging that layoffs and restructuring are part and parcel of running a business, the employee said that does little to ease the growing anxiety.
“Seeing things like this happen over and over again makes it really hard to believe in any kind of ‘stability’ or loyalty at work. It feels like no matter how much you give, you’re always just one random decision away from being out,” they wrote.
“I don’t know how much longer I can keep working for an employer who could replace me at any time with someone cheaper, or even with AI. I get that layoffs and restructuring are part of business, and I’m sure people have seen worse. But still…how do you keep going, knowing this could happen to you? Does anyone else feel like we’re all one meeting away from getting fired?” they asked.
“Your employer can let you go on a whim.”
In the comments, a number of Singaporeans who had been laid off at some point in their lives stepped in to share their experiences and offer advice.
One individual tried to comfort the post author by saying that even though layoffs can feel brutal and completely out of nowhere, it is not the end of the road.
They wrote, “As someone who got laid off before (mass retrenchment, people were sobbing/wailing in the office because there were no signs and it was very sudden), what I can say is that you’ll always bounce back as long as you try.”
“Me + many of my colleagues who got laid off ended up in better firms, better teams, better-paying roles. Just focus on the present, and if it ever happens, have faith and know that when one door closes, another will open.”
Another bluntly wrote, “Your employer can let you go on a whim. This is true for every company. Layoffs are normal. I’ve seen colleagues change teams only to have the team get terminated. All of these decisions were made months in advance, and no one was told until the very end. Work, but never believe you’re more important or valuable than anyone else; have a life and social support system outside of work.”
A third said that this kind of situation is unfortunately pretty typical in a high-cost and fast-moving environment like Singapore. They added, “Once you’re mid-career, just be prepared and don’t be blindsided when it actually happens to you. Focus on building valuable skillsets and a network so you’ll feel confident about your employability.”
In other news, a Singaporean woman recently shared online that her boyfriend often gets “annoyed” whenever she asks him to help with small things.
In her post, she explained that her boyfriend gets “irritated” whenever she asks to return their plates or collect their food in hawker centres because he thinks people “should be independent in returning these themselves,” or that he feels there should at least be a “fair exchange” between both parties.
Read more: ‘My BF wants ‘fair exchange’ for every small act of help’ — Woman asks, ‘Is this mindset normal for SG men?’
