Many suppliers in China make use of temporary and student workers during periods in which demand for products increases. But there have been complaints by these workers that they are forced to work long hours, at short notice and with no real relevance to their studies.
In an effort to try and tackle the issue, HP told suppliers that all work must be voluntary, that students and temporary workers must be free “to leave work at any time upon reasonable notice without negative repercussions, and they must have access to reliable and reprisal-free grievance mechanisms”.
The new rules also state that any work carried out by students must “complement the primary area of study”.
Starting in March, HP will be holding training sessions with suppliers as well as discussion sessions with and for government officials, non-government organisations and academics.
In an interview with The New York Times Tony Prophet, HP’s senior vice president for worldwide supply chain operations said the company would also be capping at no more than 20% the number of students and temporary workers suppliers could employ during peak periods of demand.
There is also a future plan to reduce this to 10%, but did not suggest a time-frame for this to be implemented.
