Reuters uncovered discriminatory job advertisements for iPhone factory workers in India, with some listings indicating that female applicants for positions at Foxconn had to be unmarried and within the ages of 18 to 32.
The problematic advertisements have since been removed following the initiation of both state and federal investigations by the Indian government into Foxconn’s hiring practices. However, neither Foxconn nor Apple has provided any clarification regarding the initial requirements …
As Apple looks to lessen its reliance on China as a manufacturing hub, India has rapidly emerged as the company’s second-largest site for iPhone assembly. Foxconn holds the position of Apple’s primary manufacturing partner.
Reuters analyzed various ads for roles in Foxconn’s iPhone assembly lines and discovered that numerous recruitment agents were explicitly stating that female candidates had to be young and unmarried.
This practice directly contradicted the stated anti-discrimination policies of both Apple and Foxconn. There was no response from either company regarding a request for comment.
Foxconn did not address Reuters‘ inquiries regarding its instructions to recruiters, nor whether it had lifted restrictions concerning the employment of married women for iPhone assembly jobs. Apple also refrained from commenting on similar inquiries. Both companies have previously asserted that Foxconn employs married women in India.
According to reports, Foxconn responded by issuing standardized advertising templates that recruiters must now utilize.
Foxconn has instructed the hiring agents that assist in recruiting iPhone assembly workers in India to eliminate age, gender, and marital status criteria, as well as the company’s name from job postings, based on insights from three sources familiar with the matter and nearly a dozen ads reviewed by Reuters […]
Shortly after the publication of the story, Foxconn’s HR executives directed many Indian vendors to align their recruitment materials with the templates provided by the company, as stated by two of the three hiring agency sources. They were also told not to communicate with the media, those individuals indicated.
During a late June meeting, Foxconn HR officials referred to media coverage of the company’s hiring practices and cautioned agents against including Foxconn’s name in any advertisements moving forward, threatening contract termination if they did,” one agent noted.
Reuters reported a communications expert expressing uncertainty over whether the discriminatory hiring practices had truly ceased or simply the advertisements had been adjusted.
Dilip Cherian, a communications consultant and co-founder of the Indian PR agency Perfect Relations, remarked that media scrutiny of Foxconn’s employment practices compelled changes in job advertising due to potential reputational damage to both the company and its client, Apple.
Nonetheless, it remains to be seen “whether this action signifies a genuine change of approach or if it is merely a superficial and legally compliant response to being publicly called out,” Cherian added.
Photo by Rajeev Chanda on Unsplash
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