'This restructuring is part of a broader effort to adapt to current economic challenges,' DA says
Singapore-based healthcare company Doctor Anywhere has laid off 8.1% of its workforce across Southeast Asia as part of a restructure amid economic challenges, according to reports.
About 45 employees have been laid off in the restructure, including less than 20% of staff members who were based in Singapore, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported.
The firm said no doctors or healthcare professionals were affected in the layoffs, which only impacted "duplicative" roles.
According to the reports, enhanced severance benefits that exceed statutory requirements were provided to laid-off staff. This includes severance pay based on tenure, notice period pay, leave encashment, and extended healthcare coverage where applicable.
Immigration assistance, if needed, will also be provided to affected staff, CNA reported.
"This restructuring is part of a broader effort to adapt to current economic challenges and secure the company's long-term sustainability," Doctor Anywhere told CNA in a statement.
"This difficult decision was made to ensure DA remains focused on areas where we can deliver the greatest impact to our patients and partners, and align most closely with our mission to build a more affordable and accessible 'Hospital Anywhere' model in Asia."
Doctor Anywhere is a healthcare application that offers a "one-stop place" for healthcare needs, including appointment booking and video consultations with healthcare professionals, among others.
The firm is headquartered in Singapore, and has operations across Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
It joins the growing list of organisations that have been laying off staff this year, including Citi, Nissan, Sony, and among others.
In Singapore, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) must be notified of the layoffs within five working days after employees were informed of their retrenchments. The third quarter of 2024 saw a total of 3,050 retrenchments, a slight drop from the previous quarter's 3,270.
"Retrenchments were primarily due to business reorganisation or restructuring, which accounted for almost two in three retrenched employees in 3Q 2024," MOM said in its latest Labour Market Report.
