A Foxconn employee, Chen Long, died of exhaustion after working a continuous 60-hour shift in one week, stopping rarely to sleep and eat. The employee, who had previously fainted from exhaustion, died in a shower on June 24th.
Here is a rundown by MICGadget:
On June 24th, the day before Chen’s death, everything is normal. Chen got off work at 7pm, and went home for dinner. After having his meal, he went out with his girlfriend for some fun at the Internet bar, until 11pm. Chen got back back home for a sleep after the date. Next day, June 25th, Chen woke up at 11am, feeling dizzy and has no appetite. He reluctantly have a meal that includes instant noodle, chicken feet and fruity flavored milk. He only had a few sips of those food. Chen then felt strengthless and sat at home watching the television. At 5pm, the weather is hot and Chen went to the bathroom for a shower. After two minutes, Chen falls to the ground unconscious. His girlfriend quickly called the ambulance, and when the doctor arrived, Chen is confirmed to be dead.
From this story it seems that the death is only tangentially related to the 60 hour work weeks Chen put in at Foxconn where he was, by all accounts, a model employee more than willing to work lots of overtime. His parents requested – and did not receive – assistance from Foxconn to help bury Chen as he was one of their only means of monetary support. Magnanimously, the company “May consider to bear the funeral expenses of the victim.”