Coronavirus: Dyson plots 900 job losses as pandemic drives customers online
The company, founded by the UK's richest person, says it hopes to redeploy many of those affected by its shake-up.
Thursday 23 July 2020 16:42, UK
Dyson is to cut 900 staff across its global workforce, including 600 in the UK, as it adapts to the changing needs of its customers during the coronavirus crisis.
The company, best-known for its bag-less vacuum cleaners, said the COVID-19 pandemic had forced it to accelerate its restructuring plans.
A shake-up of its retail and customer service operations accounted for the bulk of the proposed redundancies, Dyson said.
A spokesman added: "The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated changes in consumer behaviour and therefore requires changes in how we engage with our customers and how we sell our products.
"We are evolving our organization and reflecting these changes to make us faster, more agile, and better able to grow sustainably.
"These proposals would regrettably result in around 600 redundancies in the UK and 300 in the rest of the world.
"We are fully supporting those who are impacted, finding alternative roles where possible."
The company - founded by the billionaire inventor Sir James Dyson, who was recently judged the UK's wealthiest person along with his family by The Sunday Times Rich List - employs 14,000 people globally.
It has 4,000 workers in the UK.
Dyson said it had not furloughed any workers or taken public money to support its global interests during the pandemic. which has resulted in a crisis for jobs across large parts of the world as private sector employers move to preserve cash.