OnePlus lays off workers in Europe as part of ‘restructuring plans’

OnePlus says the changes have nothing to do with Covid-19 pandemic and are aimed at streamlining its operations.

The teams in Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and Belgium appear to be unaffected, as these are the markets where OnePlus apparently sees most potential. (REUTERS)

Chinese company OnePlus that launched flagships OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro this week has laid off several workers in Europe as part of its 'restructuring plans.

The smartphone manufacturer said it is making organisational changes in some existing markets, specifically Germany, France and the UK, adding that "it is doing everything it can to support the approximately 20 total employees in these three markets who will be affected by this restructuring, including offering redundancy packages per local regulations.

The Chinese smartphone maker said that it has decided to make some changes to the current organisational structure within Europe to better streamline its operations while continuing to meet the needs of its growing community.

"These changes only apply to Europe, which remains a key region for OnePlus where we are committed to bringing the best products and services to users as we have done since day one," the company said in a statement on Saturday.

"As part of our strategy, we are looking to capitalise on opportunities in the Nordic region and Benelux by hiring for new positions, relocating some existing European staff and further enhancing our capabilities in these strategic markets," the company added.

However, the teams in Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and Belgium appear to be unaffected, as these are the markets where OnePlus apparently sees most potential.

According to OnePlus, the changes has nothing to do with the pandemic, but as the company raced towards premium 5G smartphones, carriers like O2 and EE discontinued their partnerships with the brand in the UK.

Ben Wood, Chief Analyst at CCS Insight, said that "OnePlus has fallen into the trap of over-promising and under-delivering".

The company is struggling hard to maintain relationships with carriers in Europe.