Foxconn Employee Commits Suicide After iPhone Prototype Disappears

[Rob Williams]

From our front-page news:

If I had to work anywhere in China, the last place I'd consider a job at would be Foxconn. Over the years, there have been a few stories of what the demands on their employees are like, and it really came to the forefront three years ago when the company was accused of running a sweatshop. It was indeed found that employees would regularly work 80 hours overtime a month, when the legal limit was 36.

Well, the image around the company has gotten even sketchier this week with an employee suicide that's apparently directly-linked to pressure from the company. Sun Danyong, 25, was responsible for handling the shipment of 16 iPhone prototypes. One went missing, and even now it's unknown (at least to the public) about its whereabouts. That didn't stop Foxconn from using less-than-ideal measures to find it.

After the prototype was found to be missing, Sun was quickly interrogated. Although it hasn't been verified to be true, he told friends that he was beat as well. To push the envelope just a little too far, Foxconn employees even broke into and ransacked his apartment in search of the device. Long story short, the pressure was apparently too much, and Sun unfortunately decided suicide was the only option.

I won't let personal feelings get in the way of this news post, but something clearly has to be done to improve the work ethics of these companies. Although it wasn't even verified that he was the one responsible for the missing unit, they took extreme action. This handling of things along with other incredible employee demands... it's just twisted. As for Apple, they expressed sadness of the incident. Now we'll just have to wait until the investigation clears to (hopefully) get the full story.

Sun's classmates (he had just graduated from university and joined Foxconn in 2008), said that before his suicide, he had talked to them about the interrogation techniques Foxconn's security guys had used - including "laying hands" on him, though he did not specify how. Security officers that worked with Gu argued that it was unlikely - the security office is one large room staffed by 60 to 70 people. While Sun had been taken behind a screen that obscured the rest of the room's view, witnesses would have been able to hear if he had been beaten.

Source: Shanghaiist​

 

[2Tired2Tango]

From our front-page news:

After the prototype was found to be missing, Sun was quickly interrogated. Although it hasn't been verified to be true, he told friends that he was beat as well. To push the envelope just a little too far, Foxconn employees even broke into and ransacked his apartment in search of the device. Long story short, the pressure was apparently too much, and Sun unfortunately decided suicide was the only option.
​

Holy crap!

There is nothing in the civilian sector worth that.​

 

[Doomsday]

oh man! that is just really sad, poor chap....and i thought EA was Evil!!

 

[madstork91]

On one hand: Can you imagine the kind of country you would have to live in where this is not only heard of, but you probably know someone who knows someone who has had this happen to you?

On the other hand: A lot of these over seas markets are working specifically on mass scale of production... can you imagine spending a few hundred million on a plant infrastructure only to have apple cancel on them because of a leak? Keep in mind that a few hundred million in some of the Asian markets is near a regions domestic product. The entire region depends on something like that. Not just the company.

oh man! that is just really sad, poor chap....and i thought EA was Evil!!

EA sports! IT's IN THE HELL!

 

[Rob Williams]

Despite the hardcore work ethics, from what I understand, China has a much lower suicide rate than other parts of the world. I would have not expected that to be the case. Was is obvious, though, is that the work ethics are far from being desirable, and sadly, many people there don't even realize how insane they are. In visiting Taiwan, I've found this out first-hand, and I gotta say, I'm glad I'm not in some of these people's shoes.

A friend I have over there regularly works 12+ hour days, and thinks nothing of it. "Asia is different than other parts of the world"... and sure, that's true, but that doesn't make anything make more sense. It's fine to work 12 hour days once in a while, because obviously, it has to be done from time to time. But to do it regularly and end up working 70+ hour weeks... just sick. Sure doesn't sound good for the health, either mentally or physically.

As for EA, let's target everyone there except the FIFA devision. They're doing some really good things there ;-)

 

[Doomsday]

i think i hated(still some left) EA alot when they bought and dissolved Westwood studios! those guys made really awesome RTSs!! The games which brought me out of consoles into PC gaming. C&C Red Alert,
Dune 2000, Red Alert 2, Emperor Battle for Dune, Tiberiun Sun!!

i really hope EA would make another Dune game, i miss the Ornathopters and the Devastator Tanks!

 

[Psi*]

Preparation H was not strong enough

When I started consulting 10+ years ago, Foxcon/Hon Hai, was my 1st contract. At the time they were known for not having any morality. Taiwanese that I had knew in the US urged me not to work for them ... consulting was ok. Reverse engineering or even hiring employees of competitors who came in with product drawings were the modus operandi. They were very out spoken about utilizing the financial resources of 1 successful & unrelated division to finance another in order to come in cheap. The motivation was to own the targeted industry and they have been fairly effective. They would go after products that had been on the market for at least 3 years & would undercut the pricing. Most purchasing departments are all over a better price.

Sooooo, you would not will find them at the fore front of any technology. They are a contract manufacturer & perhaps the world's largest. But do not expect innovation. Actually, *they* are the ones that put the "no" in innovation.

The internal operating divisions are more competitive with each other than with the actual competition. In Taiwan, the people with PhDs work hours that the US considers "normal" ... ok less than normal .... 40 hours/week. Everyone else is allowed every other weekend off with 10 hour days in-between. Trust me, if they had any efficiency at all they would own the world, but most employees do not care. That and they are told what to do and how to do it. I received the "uniform" jacket while I was there. I think you get the drift. Toe the line is an understatement.

As far as work environment, Terri Gau, I think may be retired but was president, was all about living in the employee housing in China. That would be mattresses on the floor, communal living, & cannot leave the premises. It was dangerous for women to leave anyway as they could be kid napped & sold. I stupidly joked at the time, "why would anyone want more than 1 woman in their life?" My Taiwanese friends were serious & didn't laugh.

Needless to say, I had no problem declining a job offer after consulting to them for a year. I certainly do not buy their mobos although it is probably impossible not buy a computer or mobo that doesn't have one or some of their cr@p connectors.

The Prep H means that the experience was a complete PITA, and I do not mean the bread.

 

[Doomsday]

interesting...........so nobody has ever filed a case against them for what they do?! they have never been caught doing anything illegal?!

 

[madstork91]

I think the thing you are looking for is cognitive dissonance...

People report higher job satisfaction to do a horrible, stressful repetative job for $1 then they would for $20.

They have done studies on this... The people making $1 say the job isnt so bad; the people making $20 do nothing but complain about the job.

 

[Psi*]

The only laws that may have been broken were some stocks that employees received & didn't report to the IRS. The IRS did catch on tho ... so there are a few that do not come to the US anymore. The only US citizen that I knew of, did properly and voluntarily report his stock.

 

[Rob Williams]

I thought I responded to this ages ago...

Psi*, your above post is pretty interesting, especially since you were the one with a first-hand experience. Up to now, most reports have come straight out of Asia, so your perspective is interesting.

They have done studies on this... The people making $1 say the job isnt so bad; the people making $20 do nothing but complain about the job.

You're right about this... people outside of Asia (namely North America and perhaps Europe) have a far different mindset. Asians tend to be a little more content with what they have. On one hand, I'd love to be more like that, but the truth still remains, they're far overworked there, and in the end, deserve a lot more money for what they do.