GovTech holds 'Ask Me Anything' session in Punggol office after retrenchment news, staff morale remain low: Zaobao

The Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) held an all-hands "Ask Me Anything" session with staff after announcing what has been described as the first large-scale government retrenchment in many years.

However, some employees said morale remained low and concerns about job security persist as further job cuts are going to occur.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, GovTech chairman Chng Kai Fong and chief executive Goh Wei Boon held the session at the agency's Punggol Way office on Jul. 16 at 4pm.

The session was attended by around 200 staff in person, with the rest joining online.

Warning before the session began

Before the session started, a message on screen warned employees that sharing the contents of the meeting without authorisation could result in disciplinary action or legal consequences, according to Zaobao.

Technical issues and unanswered questions

The session did not go entirely smoothly, Zaobao reported.

A GovTech employee of three years, identified by the pseudonym Zhang Keling, attended the session and told the paper that technical issues arose frequently, with some online participants unable to hear the proceedings clearly.

Questions were submitted through an internal communications platform, meaning employees could not tell who had asked what, or which questions management had chosen to address.

Scale of retrenchment

GovTech announced on Jul. 15 that it would be cutting 7 to 9 per cent of its workforce, equivalent to about 270 to 350 people, following a shift to a new operating model.

In the first phase, 93 officers will be laid off.

About 110 will undergo retraining and be redeployed to other positions.

The Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE) negotiated an enhanced support package for affected staff, as Mothership previously reported.

The agency currently employs about 3,900 staff, of which around 13 per cent are on contract.

Those most affected in this first phase are employees in their 40s and 50s.

"Everyone is quite worried"

Zhang Keling told Zaobao his own position was currently stable, but that he had no certainty about the longer term given the ongoing restructuring.

He said: "We've never heard of the government doing layoffs, and on such a large scale. Everyone is quite worried. We probably need to keep upgrading ourselves."

He also noted that overall morale among staff was low, with widespread anxiety about job security.

When Zaobao reporters visited the office in Punggol Digital District on Jul. 16, most staff who entered and exited the building identified themselves as contractors or part-time workers and declined to comment.

One employee who appeared to be in their 40s or 50s acknowledged having just attended the session but said only: "I have not been authorised. I cannot say."