I was a bit stunned at first because everyone thinks of working at Shell as having an iron rice bowl,” said Gnanamani, 51, when she first received notice of her retrenchment in December 2016 when the company was being restructured. She said that not everyone had been asked to leave, and she had not expected to be one of those affected. Mani, as many call her, was a business analyst and had spent 25 years working at Shell until May 2017.
Support From SSEU-SHELL
With the support from the Singapore Shell Employees’ Union (SSEU-SHELL), Mani got connected with an e2i officer and soon received good news regarding a job opening at a volunteer welfare organisation (VWO).
“I shared with the officer that I was open to volunteer work, an administrative position or something entirely different. When they shared with me about the position, I thought maybe it was time to give back to the community, and that it was a calling,” said Mani.
Despite having to take a pay cut, Mani soon began work at the VWO two months after her last day at Shell. Now a data management officer, Mani likens it to data analytics and is able to tap her IT background to do her job well.
Recalling the support, Mani said: “SSEU-SHELL has always been close to the employees. They’re always there and very helpful. They were trying to do something for the others who were also affected and they even gave talks to clarify the package that was to be given out. What I like about e2i is that till today, they still call me up periodically to check in on me.”
She added: “If people need to upgrade their skills, I would advise them to do so early. Start early to match the skills required to any new role you might have in mind. Don’t have too many expectations too. Take whatever comes first and then move on from there.”
