Text 1 Step by step

Fenwick ‘reorganisation’ leads

to job loss fears
The department store chain Fenwick is consulting with
staff about proposed structural changes, leading to fears
jobs could be at risk.
The company wants to “modernise and reorganise the
5 business” and centralise operations – currently each store
runs autonomously.
It will also launch a website enabling online shopping for
the first time.
No decision on redundancies will be announced until the
10 consultation process has ended.
There are also plans to base Human Resources, IT and finance
departments at its flagship Newcastle store.
Modernise the business
The other Fenwick outlets are in London’s Bond Street, Bracknell, Brent Cross, Canterbury,
15 Colchester, Kingston, Tunbridge Wells and York.
A spokesperson for Fenwick said: “Fenwick has today announced a proposal to modernise and
reorganise the business, moving to a functionally-led structure while retaining our local focus.
“These proposals are part of a broader strategy to modernise the business and to invest in
both Fenwick’s multichannel offer –including IT upgrades and e-commerce – and its flagship
20 Newcastle store.”
“We are consulting all colleagues about proposed structural changes and it is only at the end
of this process that we can confirm how many posts will be made redundant.”
About 2,000 people are employed at Fenwick.
BBC News, April 26th, 2018 © BBC Studios Distributions LTD. ■

1 Fill in the table with the main information about the company mentioned
in the article.

Name of the company Fenwick

Type of company department store

Number of outlets 9 (including Newcastle)

Number of employees 2,000

2 Match the words from the text (a-e) to their equivalents (1-5).

a. fears • • 1. dismissals
b. redundancies • • 2. shop
c. flagship • • 3. improvements
d. outlet • • 4. worries
© Éditions Foucher

e. upgrades • • 5. the most important

32 • UNIT 3 - COMPANY ORGANISATION

 Text 1

3 Say what the company is planning to do.

The company wants to reorganise and modernise its business.

4 Explain why the employees are worried about the decision.

They think the company is planning to downsize, so some employees will lose their jobs.

5 Find where IT and Human Resources will be located. Explain that choice.
IT and Human Resources will be located at the Newcastle store, because it is the most important outlet.

6 Explain how the company wants to reorganise its business.

They want to set up a functional structure and centralise the business while keeping a local focus.

7 Say how the company plans to modernise its business.

They’re introducing e-commerce and improving IT.

8 Say how they will decide on the number of redundancies.

They will consult the staff first.

WRITING
What are the pros and cons of corporate restructuring?
(100-120
words) U S E F UL PHRASE S
◗ to downsize: réduire les effectifs ◗ overheads: des frais de fonctionnement
◗ to eliminate layers of management: ◗ to reduce costs: réduire les coûts
supprimer des niveaux de hiérarchie
© Éditions Foucher

◗ to run a business more efficiently: diriger

◗ to modernise: moderniser une entreprise de façon plus efficace

Glossary p. 177

UNIT 3 - COMPANY ORGANISATION • 33