Apple supplier Foxconn has directed its Indian recruitment agencies to remove age, gender, and marital status criteria from job advertisements for iPhone assembly workers.
This directive follows a Reuters investigation that revealed discriminatory hiring practices at Foxconn’s main iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai.
Foxconn India: Investigation, Response and Reactions
The Reuters investigation, published on June 25, 2024, found that Foxconn’s Indian recruiters had previously excluded married women from employment opportunities at the plant.
The job advertisements posted between January 2023 and May 2024 stated that only unmarried women of specified ages were eligible for smartphone assembly roles, contravening Apple and Foxconn’s anti-discrimination policies.
The investigation also revealed that Foxconn occasionally relaxed this policy during peak production periods.
In response to the investigation, Foxconn HR executives instructed many Indian vendors to standardize recruitment materials according to templates provided by the company.
These templates no longer include age, gender, or marital status criteria, and also omit the manufacturer’s name.
Foxconn HR executives warned vendors not to communicate with the media and stated that using the company’s name in advertisements would result in contract termination.
Government and Public Reaction
The revelations prompted government investigations into Foxconn’s hiring practices.
Labour officials conducted visits to the plant in July and interviewed company executives, but the findings from the government or state officials in Tamil Nadu have not been made public.
The state government declined a request from Reuters for a copy of the investigation report under India’s Right to Information Act due to confidentiality concerns.
Statement from Foxconn
Foxconn has not responded to inquiries regarding its directives to recruiters or whether it has lifted restrictions on hiring married women for assembly roles.
Apple also declined to comment on these inquiries.
Both companies have previously stated that Foxconn does employ married women in India.
However, Reuters has not been able to independently verify whether Foxconn has increased the recruitment of married women for these roles.
The directive to remove discriminatory criteria from job advertisements marks a significant step towards ensuring fair hiring practices at Foxconn’s Indian facilities.
The incident highlights the importance of adhering to anti-discrimination policies and the need for transparency in recruitment processes.
As Foxconn continues to navigate the fallout from the investigation, the company’s commitment to fair and inclusive hiring practices will be closely watched by both the public and regulatory authorities.
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