iPhone India Manufacturer Rejects Married Women For Job? 5 Key Details

The Centre has sought a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu government after reports alleged that Foxconn, the manufacturer of Apple iPhones, rejected married women from working at the factory in Chennai. The accusation was first reported by Reuters journalists Praveen Paramasivam, Munisif Vengatil, and Aditya Kalra on June 25, 2024. The investigation found that Foxconn "systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main India iPhone assembly plant, on the grounds they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts."

5 Key Details About The Controversy

1. Reuters investigation finds Foxconn discriminating against married women

Investigative journalists from Reuters found that Foxconn had been rejecting married women for jobs, saying that they had more familial responsibilities and would not be able to complete their work efficiently. The hiring agents and HR sources cited family duties, pregnancy and higher absenteeism as reasons why Foxconn did not hire married women at the plant in Sriperumbadur, about 40 kilometres from Chennai.

2. Apple acknowledges hiring errors

When Reuters approached Foxconn and Apple for their report, the latter acknowledged lapses in hiring practices about two years ago. The tech giants told reporters that they had worked to address the issues. However, they commented on Foxconn's discriminatory hiring practices in 2023 and 2024 that were uncovered by Reuters. 

An Apple spokesperson said that "when concerns about hiring practices were first raised in 2022 we immediately took action and worked with our supplier to conduct monthly audits to identify issues and ensure that our high standards are upheld."

3. Foxconn denies allegations

Apple stated that none of its suppliers, including Foxconn, discriminate against married women employees. Meanwhile, Foxconn sources told the investigative journalists that the firm "vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form." 

In its statement, Foxconn said, “We enhanced our management process for hiring agencies in India in 2022 and identified four agencies that were posting ads that did not meet our standards,” without naming the agencies. “We took corrective action with those agencies and more than 20 job ads were removed.”

4. How many employees at Foxconn?

When journalists from the Press Trust of India reached out to Foxconn, they asserted that 25% of its employees were married women. However, the firm did not specify the exact number of women employees. "This ratio compares favourably to any factory in this sector currently operating in India," an unnamed source said.

According to reports, the source also said that the Foxconn factory currently has about 70% women and 30% men and the Tamil Nadu plant is the largest factory for women employment in the country with the total employment having touched 45,000 workers during 'peak periods.'

5. Centre orders report from Tamil Nadu government

The Ministry of Labour and Employment called for a probe, citing the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976, saying the law "clearly stipulates that no discrimination (is) to be made while recruiting men and women workers." The labour ministry reportedly requested a 'detailed report' from the Labour Department of Tamil Nadu.