Picture of the Day: Workplace Suicide Nets In China...
September 15, 2010
If you ever think your workplace sucks... Well, remember that it's all relative..
Today's post is a simple reminder of that fact... BusinessWeek has a great article on FOXCONN, the company that's always thinking about ways to shave another nickel off the cost of your iPhone... FOXCONN is the sprawling manufacturer that has 300,000 employees - in ONE LOCATION... As you might expect, that many employees, being a low cost producer and having your operations based in China is a cocktail resulting in... well, let's just say it puts some pressure on the people side of the businesss.
Keep it in perspective today... (email subscribers, click through for the picture if you can't see it, it's worth it...)
This is extremely disturbing. It does make you put things into perspective...things aren't that bad, I suppose. After reading the business week article....this is sort of like the "Werther effect". You know, one person commits suicide and then a group of others decide to copy. Just crazy!
Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Posted by: Erica Lynn | September 16, 2010 at 01:17 PM
I'm totally laughing because I know quite a few people that would think this is a good idea where they work. But really- it's so sad that their leaders know that this is a problem. Their answer isn't to change the environment to prevent the jumping- just put something out there to catch them when they do. Sure makes me feel so very fortunate to work where I do. It's like a gift from God.
Posted by: Gina | September 16, 2010 at 03:09 PM
I think a good systemic solution will look at what I think all management should look at: practicing respect for people and creating joy in work (and much more). But that isn't an overnight solution, even if they wanted to pursue that strategy. It will take time to change the system. It is something that I think can address the systemic root causes.
Cornell University has a long term problem with suicide jumpers, 6 this year - and they have installed suicide prevention fences (those nets are not seen as an indictment of the professors, or administrators at Cornell) but the nets in China are often seen that way in posts on the internet.
http://curiouscatlinks.blogspot.com/2010/08/suicides-foxconn-cornell-and-golden.html
My guess would be having hundreds of thousand of employees that include huge numbers of young people, far away from home is a much bigger factor than "low cost." But that is just a guess, I could certainly be wrong.
Posted by: John Hunter | September 16, 2010 at 10:05 PM
China is evil they are communist, people are jumping out of buildings because it's slave labor. It's not a good idea it's tyranny.
Posted by: george | February 23, 2011 at 06:58 PM
You're probably right that it would have been an awful experience, and they likely would have taken credit in the end for any creative input you had in the process...everything happens for a reason, and I'm sure you're better off where you are now! It also sounds like you learned from it, so that's invaluable!
Posted by: Puma Outlet Store | October 12, 2011 at 01:39 AM
Buildings are not very cheap and not every person can buy it. Nevertheless, credit loans was created to aid people in such cases.
Posted by: AngeliqueRiddle31 | May 18, 2012 at 05:09 AM
China and its government faces some gigantic and unbelievably complex problems. The new Central Committee could either lurch to the extremes or remain more or less centralist. Loud-mouthed denunciations by American presidential candidates will not help.
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Posted by: Chinese Enslavement | February 09, 2021 at 04:28 AM