Singapore – Agoda has apologised for the ‘negative impact’ its latest retrenchment exercise in Singapore to some of its employees, following multiple media reports that put the popular online travel agency under pressure for allegedly ‘silencing’ its axed employees regarding the layoffs.
In a statement sent to MARKETECH APAC, Agoda stated that they had held meetings with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (SISEU) to discuss and address the concerns raise over their severance agreements.
“We would like to clarify that the agreement was intended to conclude all matters relating to the employment relationship between Agoda and the individuals. We acknowledge that it is inappropriate for employers to include provisions that discourage or inhibit employees from approaching the authorities for all situations,” Agoda stated.
Affirmation on employees’ statutory right
The company also regrets any wording that may have conveyed such a restriction and affirms that employees have an undisputed statutory right to seek advice or assistance from government bodies, statutory boards, or trade unions.
Affected employees are being contacted to clarify these points and to connect them with e2i programs offered in partnership with NTUC and SISEU, which provide job-matching, training, and upskilling opportunities to ease career transitions.
“We empathise deeply with employees who have been impacted by this restructuring and want to reaffirm our commitment to maintaining open communication, upholding fair employment standards, and supporting Singapore’s world-class workforce. We are proud of our deep roots in Singapore, our home market. We will keep investing in Singapore and continue to hire highly skilled jobs particularly in the AI, product and technology space,” they said.
Responses from Labour Movement
Meanwhile, In a joint statement issued on 19 September 2025, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng and SISEU Executive Secretary Desmond Tan said: “We appreciate the management of Agoda for taking a proactive approach in engaging NTUC, SISEU and the Government, and for its transparency in sharing information regarding the exercise.
“The union has also ascertained that the retrenchment benefit provided to the affected workers are aligned with industry guidelines,” Tan said.
Following Agoda’s announcement, MOM has issued a second media statement acknowledging the discussions between the company, Government and Labour Movement.
An MOM spokesperson said, “This is an encouraging development and an endorsement of Singapore’s strong tripartite approach, where employers, unions and the government work closely to safeguard the interests of our workers in the spirit of fair and responsible employment practices.
The ministry also reiterated that while employers can have severance agreements in their contracts, they should not prevent employees from reaching out to authorities and unions.
“Employers must uphold the spirit of fair and progressive employment practices, particularly during significant workforce changes such as retrenchments,” said MOM.
The retrenchment was first reported by Business Times (BT) on 17 September 2025.
Sources told BT that Agoda held a closed-door, virtual town hall on 4 August 2025 with its Customer Experience Group (CEG) staff in Singapore, Shanghai and Budapest to announce the retrenchment.
Management informed employees that all CEG roles across the three locations would be cut, citing “cost” pressures and “recruitment challenges” as the reasons.
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