Apple Reports Underpaid, Underage Workers

Apple has reported after compiling their 2010 progress report [pdf], that workers that were hired under the legal working age of 16 were hired, records were falsified, and that hazardous waste was handled inappropriately. The news has circulated quickly implying that Apple has hired 11 year olds, but that is not the case. At three factories, a total of 11 workers were hired as minors at 15 years old, and were even paid less than the legal minimum. Those employees are no longer working with Apple.

This alone would be pretty bad, but this also comes with the news that only 61% of Apple's factories were following safety regulations. Three factories were found to have improperly disposed of hazardous waste, and yet another three were found to have falsified records.

It certainly has not been a great month for Apple. Foxconn's arson event, and the poisonings seem a little bit trite compared to this triple whammy of slip-ups. Yes, at least they found the problems themselves by thoroughly checking up every year, but still embarrassing nonetheless.