Apple supplier Foxconn has instructed its recruitment agents in India to stop using criteria such as age, gender and marital status in job advertisements for iPhone assembly workers, a Reuters report has revealed.
The company took this decision following a Reuters investigation that found Foxconn’s Indian recruiters did not hire married women for jobs at its main factory in Sriperumbudur near Chennai.
Apple Supplier Foxconn relies on third-party hiring agencies for recruitment
Foxconn relies on third-party hiring agencies to recruit assembly-line workers. These agencies scout and screen candidates before final interviews and hiring take place at Foxconn.
Recruitment agencies had said in the ad- only unmarried women should apply
Earlier, many job advertisements of these recruitment agencies stated that only unmarried women could apply. This is a violation of the anti-discrimination policy supported by both Foxconn and Apple.
Recruitment agents removed restrictions on age, gender and marital status from job ads
After the discrimination came to light in June, Foxconn instructed its recruitment agents to make job ads under company-approved templates. These templates removed restrictions on age, gender and marital status.
Foxconn’s name was also removed from job postings. Foxconn also warned recruitment agents not to talk to the media and threatened to cancel contracts for non-compliance.
The company is now offering job benefits like an air-conditioned workplace and free transport
According to Reuters, several updated advertisements now tout job benefits such as air-conditioned workplaces, free transport and hostel facilities without mentioning discriminatory criteria. One advertisement from a recruitment agency offered a monthly salary of ₹14,974 (about $177) for smartphone assembly roles, though it did not specify personal qualifications.
During an October visit to Sriperumbudur, Reuters claimed to have found nine such advertisements on WhatsApp and posted in local areas. Though the ads did not directly name Foxconn, recruitment agents confirmed the jobs were for one of the company’s assembly plants.
No statement has been issued by Foxconn and Apple on the matter so far
However, no statement has come from Foxconn and Apple on this matter so far. Both the companies had earlier said that Foxconn employs married women in India.
Foxconn has strictly followed the revised recruitment practices. The manager of Prudel, one of Foxconn’s recruitment agencies, told Reuters, “Foxconn gives us advertisements for recruitment. We only use them.”
