Hon Hai accused of discriminating against married women in India

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. has been accused of systemically refusing to hire married women at its plant in Sriperumbudur, India, in a Reuters report published Tuesday, but the manufacturing giant denied such allegation.

The report's claims -- corroborated, Reuters said, by five current and former Hon Hai human resources executives and 17 employees from more than a dozen hiring agencies in India.

According to a former human resources executive interviewed by Reuters, Hon Hai, known as Foxconn globally, verbally instructed recruiting agencies not to hire married women due to "cultural issues" and "risk factors," including family duties, pregnancy and perceived rates of higher absenteeism.

Sources interviewed by Reuters also cited the wearing of jewelry by married Hindu women that may interfere with production as another reason for Hon Hai's hiring practices.

According to the sources, Hon Hai's Sriperumbudur plant still employed such discriminatory recruitment policies in 2023 and 2024.

In a statement on Thursday, Hon Hai said it did not tolerate any form of discrimination in recruitment.

The company added that it provides equal job opportunities for job seekers and equal treatment for those who have been hired and works with local authorities to ensure that recruitment processes comply with local laws and regulations.

While it found four hiring agencies whose ads did not meet its standards in 2022, Hon Hai said it had since taken corrective action with those agencies and removed more than 20 unsuitable job ads.

According to Hon Hai, the company prioritizes the protection of welfare for its employees all over the world, and any form of discrimination based on background, gender, race or marital status is not tolerated.

If the company discovers problems, it will take action to improve, including ending collaborations with hiring agencies, Hon Hai said.

In addition, 25 percent of the company's female employees in India are married, while self-expression through traditional accessories is welcomed, Hon Hai said.