Thread regarding ExxonMobil Corp. layoffs

@bx it is more because we know the retail sale is actively being worked, and there is a "Singapore Reconfiguration" study slated right after CRISP start-up, so most people were anticipating one more year, when the reconfig study completes. Many Singapore people played a part in supporting China 1 that just started up. I'm not in the know because I'm the lowest in the food chain, but it seems to be other NDA projects ongoing. What we hear more of was, we'd be sold off piecemeal, in due time.

In corridor talks in Harbourfront, people have been asking about severance, especially with the tumultous global economy no thanks to DJT. Shell and Chevron both made big cuts in the last one year. But even our local leaders told their teams this is not going to happen and to stop dreaming for severance.

Personally I was all ready to resign by Jan after vesting of a tiny number of shares I was given in my younger, more glorious days. So this is like a dream come true. I can no longer make myself drink the koolaid and be positive about all the corporate stuff. Every corporate VP or DW message is nausea inducing. There's so much reorg, losing resources, and difficulty reworking day-to-day processes with India (not the individuals' fault). I so hate the zoom calls celebrating nothingness, and it's our evenings and we have to dress out of our pyjamas for the zoom camera. Also, bosses dangling opportunties in my face, which I fk care about and only serve to irritate me. Except for my inspiring community of work friends, the wonderful professional people I learn from internationally, and the problem solving opportunities which I still love, I really can't find it in me to care.

(BTW did anyone see how many hearts and thumbs up the post with the DW video on Our Ongoing Business Transformation got? One European guy Thomas in the comment said it so well. Who the fk give loves and thumbs up on an article on a a good number of people losing jobs. Plus all those sycophantic comments... good luck to anyone left to witness the WAEM sh-t show. Ciao)

At the very least, it gave us sufficient time to digest and plan for alternative backup plans (with the last batch to exit by 2027).

Yes I do agree that getting the severance package is the best thing that can happen to most of us now. I cannot imagine the cut throat brutal squid games we are going to play during ranking in the years to come. The amount of mental stress vs rewards (eg promotion opps, increment) just do not balance well.

This company has changed so much since 2020. I guess the only thing that needs to change is our mentality now. Do all with all clear conscience. I will Never forget the frenships made here.

I feel bad for you all, especially since I know and have worked with many colleagues in Singapore, but it’s hard for me to understand how this is so surprising. The complex is disadvantaged for the single fact that it must import all its feeds and export all its products in a relatively high energy cost location. I think management has convinced themselves CRISP will make the complex profitable, and that’s the only reason it’s not in as dire of straits as our European assets.

It was Wed am, 1 Oct. We all received an email at around 10pm on Tue night, about an "important announcement" the next day. The email came right at about the same time when Brussels was making their announcement.

We could tell it was a very last minute decision to announce, and even the function leads were caught by surprise. Since Singapore was the last of HC10 to be impacted, we speculated that global just then decided to ride on the timing of announcements in Canada and Brussels barely 36 hours ago, instead of waiting for another opportune time, like when we divest retail.

Key changes by end 2027:
1) 10-15% of workforce to be cut, excluding manufacturing non-MPT folks. It's not a targeted work force reduction, hence the estimate. At a maximum, it is estimated that about 500 jobs, or 1 out of 3 MPTs, will go

2) Closure of Harbourfront office in central Singapore. Everyone who makes the cut are to work from the Jurong refinery or Jurong Island complex in the far West of Singapore. This includes home-based employees. Depending on where you live, commute can be two hours each way

3) SOP1 (olefins cr--ker) to be mothballed by 1Q26

4) It was clarified in the Q&A that there is no voluntary redundancy; but people who leave will be paid severance

5) Every person will be notified of their fate by mid-Dec. Between now and then, the respective functions will work out the numbers and plan out their leftover organizations. Emphasis was made that we'd know latest by mid-Dec, so likely we will know earlier.

6) Selection of people that stay is based on performance, skills and fit for new org.

There's a long lead time to transition this, 2 years by end 2027. Right now we don't know who is impacted, how many people will leave in each function, what the severance package will look like, or when the first batch will leave. No details were given by function, unlike in 2021, where scripts were rehearsed and they had already work the numbers when they made the country announcement.

Mood in office is a mix of sadness, caution and relief, as people digest the news. It is a shock to all because, unlike in Canada or Europe where there were leaks for months in advance, in Singapore we were constantly told future cuts would only happen through sale of assets, PIPs and natural attrition. There were resignations in the last one year, that would not have happened if they had heard of a possible cut with severance package.

Many asked during the Q&A about voluntary severance, so obviously a significant group would want to voluntarily leave. Maybe more than 500 people! But similar to what we heard of in the UK and Australia, there's no voluntary offered. With other upcoming changes like retail divestment, the footprint in Singapore will shrink more than just the 500 jobs impacted in this exercise. More to come. It's a blessing to get out with severance.