Foxconn violates labor policy for PS4: Interns work overtime, night shifts
Foxconn, a prolific and controversial electronics manufacturing company in China, had student interns work night shifts and overtime to assemble Sony's PlayStation 4 console, in violation of the company's labor policy. Foxconn investigated violation claims that surfaced in China yesterday and confirmed that the students were working against internal regulations.
"Immediate actions have been taken to bring that campus into full compliance with our code and policies," Foxconn said in a statement to Quartz. Foxconn said it will reinforce "the policies of no overtime and no night shifts for student interns."
Foxconn noted that intern work is voluntary and students can stop at any time. The students, engineering majors from the Xi'an Institute of Technology, were at Foxconn to earn six credits for the school's internship program. Though students were able to walk away from the internship, if they did, they wouldn't receive their hours and would be unable to graduate as planned.
Sony told MCV that Foxconn has been fully compliant with the Sony Supplier Code of Conduct. Many interns were assigned to menial tasks unrelated to their fields of study, including one finance and accounting major whose job was to glue together parts of the PS4, Games in Asia reported.
Update: Games in Asia clarified that it was unclear if the students were paid for their work at Foxconn, or if they were compensated solely in credit hours. The story reflects this information.
