The Taiwan-based Foxconn, a key supplier of Apple products in India, has instructed its hiring agents to remove age, gender, and marital status criteria from job ads for iPhone assembly workers.
The company has also asked agents to exclude Foxconn’s name from the advertisements, according to a Reuters report.
A Reuters investigation published on June 25 revealed that Foxconn had been excluding married women from jobs at its primary iPhone assembly plant in India. However, the company relaxed this policy during peak production periods.
Foxconn, which employs thousands of women at its iPhone factory near Chennai, outsources the recruitment of assembly-line workers to third-party vendors. These vendors are responsible for sourcing and screening candidates, who are then interviewed and selected by Foxconn.
During its investigation, Reuters examined job ads posted by third-party vendors on behalf of Foxconn, between January 2023 and May 2024. The ads stated that “only unmarried women between the ages of 18 and 32 were eligible” for smartphone assembly roles, a practice that violated both Apple’s and Foxconn’s anti-discrimination policies.
Following the publication of the investigation, the Indian government requested a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu state government. However, when Reuters filed an RTI request for the investigation findings, state officials reportedly denied the request, citing confidentiality.
Meanwhile, Foxconn’s HR executives had allegedly instructed third-party vendors to standardise the recruitment process and not talk to the media.
“Foxconn warned us not to use its name in any ads going forward,” an agent told Reuters, adding that vendors would face contract termination if they violated this instruction.
Neither Foxconn nor Apple have publicly commented on the directives given to recruiters, although both companies have previously stated that Foxconn hires married women in India. Foxconn did issue a statement to Forbes, stating it "vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status."
Foxconn has faced scrutiny in the past. In 2010, a series of suicides among workers at its factories in China raised concerns. Additionally, another Apple contractor, Wistron Corp, was accused of unfair labour practices in Karnataka.
India has become an important hub for Apple’s manufacturing operations, with reports in December indicating that the company plans to expand its iPhone production in the country. Foxconn is also ramping up its operations, with a new plant set to open in Bengaluru later this year.
It is important to note that it has not been possible to independently verify whether Foxconn has started hiring married women. However, recent job advertisements no longer include references to age, gender, or marital status.
The new Foxconn ads promote benefits such as an "air-conditioned workplace, free transport, canteen facility, and free hostel," along with a monthly salary of Rs 14,974. However, the ads make no mention of the previously controversial criteria.