Foxconn offering workers incentives as it tries to fulfill iPhone shipments

Foxconn is deploying a series of incentives for workers as it seeks to address labor shortages caused by the coronavirus outbreak in China.

As reported by DigiTimes, the iPhone-maker has laid on free meals, accommodation, and shuttle-buses as it seeks to encourage employees to come back to work. According to the report:

Foxconn Technology is providing a series of incentives to encourage the return and recruitment of more employees for its major assembly plants in Shenzhen and Chengzhou, China, seeking to fulfill as many shipments of iPhones as possible to Apple, according to industry sources.

The sources said strict travel and traffic controls and fears of being infected with the coronavirus have discouraged many employees from returning. But Foxconn has offered free shuttle-bus commuting, meals and accommodation for workers in addition to thorough disinfection operations at plant sites, the sources.

The report also states that Foxconn has raised its extra bonus of CNY3,000 ($426) to CNY5,000-7,000 for both returning recruits and new employees.

The report claims that other manufacturers in the region have been forced to employ similar measures in order to get people back to work following the COVID-19 outbreak. Most recently, it was reported that Foxconn was cautiously restarting production at its main factories, it has previously warned that revenue for the year will be hurt by the epidemic. Foxconn reopened its main Zhengzhou plant two weeks ago, but only 10% of its workforce turned up.