A key Apple device maker, Foxconn, was found to be excluding married women from assembly jobs at its flagship smartphone plant in India, according to a report published in Reuters.
This fact contrasts with the codes of conduct of both the company and the corporation, since it explicitly discriminates on the basis of marital status.
TO Reuters The investigation report, released Tuesday, revealed that Foxconn discriminates against married women by rejecting their job applications due to their “greater family responsibilities compared to their single counterparts.”
It was also revealed in the report that the smartphone maker systematically excluded married women from job opportunities at its main iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Furthermore, the company justified it by stating that married women have “more problems after marriage.”
According to the report, this was confirmed by numerous current and former employees of more than a dozen Foxconn recruitment agencies across India, many of whom spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity.
Agents and Foxconn HR cited reasons including family duties, pregnancy and increased absenteeism for not hiring married women at the plant. Additionally, many noted that the jewelry worn by married Hindu women could interfere with production.
However, the ban is not absolute. Three former Foxconn human resources executives said Reuters that the Taiwan-based manufacturer is relaxing its policy of not hiring married women during high production periods when it faces labor shortages.
The media organization also found that in some cases, recruitment agencies help female candidates hide their marital status to get jobs.
