SPH Media lays off 34 employees amid restructuring of technology division

SPH Media announced on Nov 4 the layoff of 34 employees, amid a restructuring of the company's technology division.

- Tham Yuen-C

The cuts will affect technology workers across various teams and ranks, and account for about 10 percent of employees in the technology division.

They come as different functions in the technology division are streamlined, resulting in job redundancies, said SPH Media chief operating officer Loh Yuh Yiing and chief technology officer (CTO) Kaythaya Maw in an e-mail sent to staff at 9.25am.

"This was a difficult decision that we have had to make," they added.

In a statement to the media, the company, which publishes The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao, said the decision was made after careful consideration.

It added that the company was committed to supporting the affected employees and providing them with comprehensive severance packages that adhere to tripartite guidelines, career coaching, job placement assistance, as well as counselling support to help ease their transition.

SPH Media, which was formed in 2021 as a company limited by guarantee after the former Singapore Press Holdings was restructured and delisted, had accelerated its digital transformation over the past three years.

Given this, an "urgent and aggressive" ramp-up in various areas of technology was necessary to build back after earlier years of underinvestment and to keep pace with the demands of the evolving digital media landscape, said Ms Loh in the e-mail.

"It has not been easy for our colleagues, executing and delivering on all fronts of tech these past three years," she added.