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Foxconn Employee Reportedly Commits Suicide Over Lost iPhone Prototype

I call BS on the Apple statement saying they require all suppliers to treat employees with dignity and respect. I worked for Arise which worked for Apple and can tell you dignity and respect are something you won't find when you're a support in the scaffolding of a company like Apple.

I called Apple many times to report unethical and illegal actions including not being payed. First off, they don't even have an avenue of contact. Second, once I did get through to the regular employee relations all my calls were ignored.

If you don't believe me just check out any work from home forum that deals with Arise. They provide a lot of Apple's phone support.
 
Hrududu said:
You have to wonder what he thought was going to happen to him.
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Yeah. If the consequences of the lost prototype was what drove him to the point of suicide, then there clearly something wrong with the way people are treated at Foxconn. It is extremely sad to see such a young man a few years older than me take his own life due to something so material. It makes my iPhone feel dirty.
 
chstr said:
really??? im sure you're right i mean nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the human-animal race :rolleyes:
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Hmmm, that makes total sense. Hey, has any one you know died? If so, I bet you killed them!!! Cause, you know, that stuff has happened before in the "history of the human-animal race."
 
Antares said:
I agree. Weak minded and selfish. At least in the western world-view. In some cultures, suicide is an honorable thing to do....which I would never agree with. Face your troubles and work through them. Suicide should never be an option.
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I couldn't disagree more. Most suicides are caused by mental illness, where the victim doesn't see the world the way it is, but in a very different way, in a way where you, Antares, wouldn't want to live either. Many are caused by depression, and that is something that you can't just face and work through.

This unfortunate event was caused by the combination of a man messing up in his job and being confronted with the consequences, which were probably shown in the most negative light in case he knew where these prototypes were, and a person being inherently vulnerable. By the way, there were more than 5,000 suicides in the UK in 2007, so a suicide is nothing too unusual.

Detektiv-Pinky said:
Since unreleased prototypes typically constitute very high damages (for any company, but Apple in particular) he very probably had some liabilities written in his contract that went far beyond simple termination of his current paycheck. Go think about it...
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I have never heard of anyone having that in their contract.

If I cause damage to my company, then there are two possibilities: Either I caused the damage as an employee, doing my job, just badly. In that case there is no liability between me and the company. They can fire me, that's it. Or I caused the damage intentionally (like stealing computers from the company, which isn't my job, or selling trade secrets, which isn't my job either), in that case I am liable anyway, and there is no need to put this into the contract.
 
That is a tragedy.

Man, think of how big the iPhone prototype gig would be for Foxconn, they must have leant on this guy so hard he felt backed into a corner. I wonder if they'll prove his innocence if the unit turns up.

He must have been innocent if he killed himself over something like that.
 
JGowan said:
Great question... I thought it EXTREMELY ODD and VERY UNLIKELY that some mid-20s Chinese youth would be possession of something so highly valuable. That crap stays locked up tight behind multiple security check points/card swipe doors 4 inches thick ... cameras ... guards ... Steve ...

How would Sun have these?
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If you read the first post describing the situation: FoxConn built prototypes that were supposed to be shipped to Apple. And since these prototypes don't have wings and fly to Cupertino, someone has to put them into a box and send them off, are put them in his suitcase and fly with them to Cupertino. And that person was Sun. That was his job. His job was to pick up sixteen prototypes and make sure they ended up at Apple in Cupertino. Someone had to do it. And after picking them up, at some time he realized that he didn't have sixteen in his possession anymore.

jonnysods said:
That is a tragedy.

Man, think of how big the iPhone prototype gig would be for Foxconn, they must have leant on this guy so hard he felt backed into a corner. I wonder if they'll prove his innocence if the unit turns up.

He must have been innocent if he killed himself over something like that.
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Not innocent, but vulnerable. He could have miscounted when he was supposed to pick up sixteen phones and only picked up fifteen. There might be a phone stuck in the side of his sofa. He might have a room cleaner or someone who was supposed to be his friend with a very, very, very guilty conscience. He might have sold one and then realized too late that this wouldn't go unnoticed (people do stupid things sometimes). We don't know. What we know is that a person with a healthy mind wouldn't kill themselves over something like this, whether guilty or innocent.
 
How much extra would it cost to manufacture these things in a country that has a free society, where employees aren't killed for disobedience, polllution regulations are adhered to, etc?

Seriously.
 
gamac said:
Then you might want to re-phrase this:

Originally Posted by Veinticinco View Post


Sounds like you are saying that no matter what is acceptable in someone's culture, it is OK because it is their culture. Thus, no one outside someone's culture can express their "opinion and judgment on whether they're right or wrong". I listed a few (of many) in my previous post (honor killings, etc.) that I believe are examples that humanity anywhere on the planet may judge as wrong.

I agree, the original poster was on his high-horse. However, I believe that your quoted statement above may not have won you any points.
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You're getting the wrong end of the stick - you started by saying you agreed with the 'weak' comment, albeit with a disclaimer about in certain circumstances but then went on to say how the concept of 'honour' in suicides is wrong. That my friend is a JUDGMENT, something you have no right to offer. Who are you to judge what is right and wrong when it comes to a person of free will who acts according to their own beliefs borne out of their own culture.

"Honour killings" as per your example are not the same as suicide as they are conducted against the will of the victims. Same as all practices that you care to name that are morally wrong (oppression, sectarianism, ritual medical practices, etc.)

I'm done with this thread now. Moving on.
 
This is ridiculous, nothing is that important. If I was guarding something and it went missing, then hey . . . If somethings not your fault, it isn't your fault.
 
Stately said:
This is ridiculous, nothing is that important. If I was guarding something and it went missing, then hey . . . If somethings not your fault, it isn't your fault.
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Thankfully, you have the liberty and wherewithal to think that way. Others do not.
 
@dellsfan

DELLsFan said:
Whereas, I am of a mind that Apple's lock-tight secrecy of all its products all the time is the very root of the problem. One man is dead because of what? An iSight camera on the front of a smart phone? :rolleyes:
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Cheesssse. What a Steve Ballmer type reply. :-( Maybe its Dells low price mentality, or a "pay me, I am a troll" mentality.????

All companies have tight security for the things that they design. This is a China thing, where the leaders have NO concern for their people. PERIOD.

Hmmm, ever consider moving to China?

Just a thought.
en
 
gnasher729 said:
I have never heard of anyone having that in their contract.

If I cause damage to my company, then there are two possibilities: Either I caused the damage as an employee, doing my job, just badly. In that case there is no liability between me and the company. They can fire me, that's it. Or I caused the damage intentionally (like stealing computers from the company, which isn't my job, or selling trade secrets, which isn't my job either), in that case I am liable anyway, and there is no need to put this into the contract.
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I don't know about your country. At least in Germany you as an employee are fully liable for damages (to your company) if you grossly neglect your responsibilities (there are different rates if proven only partially neglecting your responsibilities). Since this guy was responsible for the safekeeping of the prototype I would say this could fall under this category.
If Foxconn fears that they might loose the contract over this stunt these damages could be quite high...

I am no lawyer and do not plan to become one and I don't know the rules in China. So this is pretty much speculation, just to show that there might be some real thread other than just loosing your job.
 
kdarling said:
Very sad. Sorry to hear about it.

Here's a side question, although it could just be a mistake in translation:

Why would there be prototype phones on a factory line on July 9? Wouldn't they be production phones by then? Or is something else coming along soon?
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title of the story...missing 4G phone :D

pretty important piece of equipment unaccounted for imo...
 
Antares said:
I agree. Weak minded and selfish. At least in the western world-view. In some cultures, suicide is an honorable thing to do....which I would never agree with. Face your troubles and work through them. Suicide should never be an option.
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you nor nite41 has any idea. no idea at all. so absolute, yet so naive.
 
oh come on...

To all those bagging about Apple's secretive nature:

1. A company has a right not to disclose information on their products
2. A company has a right to set contractual agreements with other companies not to disclose publicly information about products.

Like other posts have mentioned, the business and social cultures of countries does play a role in such incidents, even tragic ones like this one, but that is by far outside the responsibility of foreign companies, yes that includes Apple.

Some people talk like Apple is a person and should speak and behave as a person. sheesh.

-iLogic
 
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