Logistics company Ninja Van has announced its second round of layoffs this year for its Singapore office on Jul. 1.

Five per cent of the company's staff in Singapore was affected by the retrenchment.

The announcement comes less than three months after its first round of layoffs on Apr. 29.

"Unable to avoid layoffs despite efforts to minimise impact"

In response to Mothership queries, a Ninja Van Group spokesperson said that the company acknowledges "the need to diversify beyond e-commerce to ensure the organisation’s long-term growth".

They added that Ninja Van Group had reviewed its internal positions in light of its future needs.

"Unfortunately, despite our efforts to minimise impact, we were unable to avoid layoffs impacting 5 per cent of our colleagues in Singapore."

The company did not specify which teams had been affected.

Severance package

The Ninja Van Group first announced its expansion into other logistics verticals of B2B restock and cold chain earlier in 2024.

Its spokesperson said: "Individuals with transferable skills have been transitioned to support our newly launched verticals in B2B restock and cold chain."

Affected employees would receive a severance package that includes garden leave until their official last day, one month of severance pay per full year of employment, an extension of medical insurance and mental health support till Dec. 31, 2024, and career transition support such as CV reviews and interview training.

In its April 2024 layoffs, "less than 10 per cent" of its regional tech team — including some in Singapore — were retrenched following a cost evaluation which determined that the affected members were "no longer required".

The timing of the April round of layoffs, just before May Day, prompted a response from the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), which said it was "dismayed" that Ninja Van, along with Yahoo, initiated retrenchment exercises ahead of a holiday meant to celebrate workers' contributions.

Top photo via Ninja Van/Facebook