Foxconn, the company behind the iPhone production, has heavily felt the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in China, particularly in its plant in Zhengzhou. As part of the protocol, it must comply with health and safety standards to prevent the spread of the virus.
However, the Taiwanese firm is aware that more employees are leaving the operations, and this event deeply affects production.
To ensure they return to work, Foxconn now offers bonuses for returning staff on campus. The recruitment for the new workers also kicks off this week.
Foxconn to Offer Bonus For Zhengzhou Plant Staff
According to a report by Reuters earlier this week, the returning employees who wish to work again at Foxconn are set to receive an incentive of 500 yuan or $69.28.
On WeChat, Foxconn also confirms that it has begun the recruitment of new staff who will enter the campus in Zhengzhou. The announcement came after the company said that the delivery wait time for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be delayed due to COVID-19 lockdowns in the region.
With the reduced number of workers at the plant, Foxconn struggles to hit its target goal in production.
"The epidemic has disrupted our work and life, but... the company has achieved milestone results in the current epidemic prevention measures. The production and living order of the park has been restored to normal gradually," Foxconn announced on its official WeChat account on Monday, Nov. 7.
Related Article: iPhone City Lockdown: Foxconn Plant in Zhengzhou to Close For a Week Amid COVID-19 Scare
Workers Panic to Leave Amid Lockdown
CNN reports that many workers are reportedly leaving the facility for good. Several viral videos of fleeing staff have flocked to social media sites like Weibo.
Since less workforce means less production, Foxconn is eager to return its employees and urge them to work again. While it's hard to convince some of its staff to return, the company came up with the idea of offering incentives for them.
Aside from a 500 yuan bonus for those who will return after leaving last Oct. 10 to Nov. 5, Foxconn wants to offer a 30 yuan ($4) salary per hour for aspiring applicants in the Zhengzhou facility.
Foxconn says that the operations for the new workers will start when the lockdown is lifted in the city. At that time, employees could start their tasks inside the plant in a closed-loop system.
A closed-loop system refers to a system where employees work, eat, and interact on-site. It might take some time before the lockdown ends since the authorities say it will last for seven days.
If Foxconn wants to attract more manpower for its facility, there's a need to increase the hourly offer for each new employee. Of course, that's another story for the day, but it could be a better idea, especially if they want to revive the operations in the plant once again.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry