A factory worker in China who reported that an iPhone prototype was missing committed suicide by jumping out of a 12th-story window, because he was scared of how his superiors would react to the news.
Chinese media reported that the worker, 25-year-old Sun Danyong, worked at the manufacturing plant of Apple partner Foxconn in Shenzhen. Part of his job was to ship prototype models to Apple in the US.
Sun ordered 16 prototype models from the assembly line but noticed one was missing. A week later, he jumped from a 12th-story window of his apartment building.
Apple said it was “saddened by the tragic loss of this young employee” and said it requires manufacturing partners to treat employees with “dignity and respect”.
Foxconn said it apologised for Sun’s death, and even said that some of its employees may have used “inappropriate interrogation methods” that may have sacred the employee.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
