What you need to know
- Some OnePlus offices in Europe have been laid off by up to 80%.
- The layoffs have occurred in the UK, France, and Germany.
- These are part of "strategic restructuring."
Not too long ago, OnePlus found itself in headlines for launching its new OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro devices. The company is making waves yet again, but this time for a much different reason. According to a report from Engadget, the phone manufacturer has gone ahead with substantial layoffs across various offices in Europe.
Per the report:
According to sources close to the matter, many regional offices — namely UK, France and Germany — have been downsized by as much as 80 percent, leaving skeletal teams of around three people in some countries. Last summer, the teams in Spain and Italy went through the same phase, before being completely laid off eventually. This was followed by a large turnover of UK staff soon afterward.
OnePlus confirmed the layoffs in a statement, noting that these are all part of "normal restructuring" for the company and its efforts in Europe. A spokesperson for the company also noted:
Europe is a very important market for us and has been since the beginning of OnePlus. We're doing some strategic restructuring in Europe, and in fact are even hiring in the region.
It is noteworthy that OnePlus isn't blaming the current state of the global economy as a result of this, suggesting that the "restructuring" really had been planned well in advance.
As for the company's other European operations, Engadget reports that OnePlus offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Finland haven't been affected at all. Furthermore, it's said that some employees have been asked to relocate to Helsinki. While not confirmed by OnePlus, it's suspected that this is where the company's new European HQ will be located (the current one is in London).
So, is this the sign of future trouble for OnePlus's bottom line? It's hard to tell right now. Smartphone sales across the board are slowing down, and with OnePlus's latest devices hitting higher price tags than ever before, it'll be interesting to see what comes next.
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