August 05, 2024 – According to a report by Tempo.co on Saturday, rumors had been circulating on social media about a massive layoff of “hundreds of people” by the Southeast Asian e-commerce giant Shopee. However, these rumors were later denied by the company.
Radynal Nataprawira, the head of public affairs at Shopee Indonesia, clarified that the company had not laid off any employees. Instead, it had relocated customer service staff to Solo and Yogyakarta. Citing a written statement released by Shopee on Saturday, the media outlet reported that while some team members were willing to relocate, others were not.
Nataprawira explained that a few employees were unwilling to move to the two new locations, although he did not specify the exact number. He clarified that those who refused to relocate were not fired but chose to resign.
Furthermore, Nataprawira elaborated that the decision to transfer employees to Yogyakarta and Solo was part of Shopee’s plan from last year. This decision was based on the readiness of urban facilities and human resource development in those areas. He emphasized that this policy aligns with Shopee’s effort to create equal employment opportunities.
The report highlighted that Shopee’s plan to relocate staff to Yogyakarta and Solo was not only based on the availability of urban amenities and human resources but also aimed at fostering equitable job prospects.