Business ethics play a significant role in the business world. When thinking of an issue of ethical business, Foxconn comes to my mind.

Foxconn is a Chinese company whose massive Chinese factories manufacture some of the world’s most popular electronics. As is known to us all, Many Apple products such as iPhone and iPad are assembled in its factories. However, Apple and Foxconn are facing a severe test about business ethics in recent years.

It was not unusual to be reported that some  factories in China exceeded the FLA standard of 60 hour work weeks and the Chinese legal limits of 40 hours a week and a maximum of 36 hours maximum overtime per month according to the FLA. More surprisingly, the number of reported suicides of Foxconn workers died after jumping off buildings in the Foxconn Campus in Shenzhen between 2007 and 2011 reaches eleven.

Admittedly, Apple and Foxconn should be held more responsible of the working conditions of all their employees. What’s more, it is high time that Apple and Foxconn took measures to protect employees’ health and safety, reduce worker hours to legal limits, protect workers’ salaries and establish a comfortable workplace.

Nevertheless, Apple joined the FLA  in 2012 and promised improvements for employees, responding to intense public attention.  Both Apple and Foxconn have agreed to continuous assessments by FLA  so as to ensure that labor practices meet FLA standards. I hope Apple and Foxconn could seriously take social responsibility in the future.

References:

http://business-ethics.com/2012/03/29/1747-apple-foxconn-criticized-in-report-promise-improvements-for-workers/