Tech giant Apple bans caste-based discrimination in code of conduct policy

Tech giant Apple has banned caste-based discrimination in the company while issuing a code of conduct for employees in the United States.

The company said it had updated its general employee conduct policy two years ago to prohibit discrimination on the basis of caste along with other categories, including gender, age, religion, race and ancestry.

The company has also been training its staff on the issue as it streamlines its processes. Apple claimed it“updated language a couple of years ago to reinforce” and prohibit“discrimination or harassment based on caste.”Indians account for Apple's top foreign workers.

IBM has also included the casteissue in its global discrimination rules. The company reportedly trains managers in India on issues that mention caste.

Watch:Is caste hegemony undoing the Gram Swaraj model?

Two years ago, California's employment regulator had sued Cisco on behalf of an engineer who reportedly accused two higher caste bosses of blocking his career. Cisco conducted an investigation and rejected the allegation while adding thatcaste is not a legally "protected class" in California. However, an appeals panel has dismissed Cisco's bid to move the case to private arbitration.

Several activists in the US have also called for updated legislation on discrimination to include deterring casteism. Apple said it has a "diverse" global team and its policies and actions reflect new changes. Apple's hiring policy now states that the company "does not discriminate in recruiting, training, hiring, or promoting on the basis of "race, colour, ancestry, national origin, caste, religion, creed, age" including disability, sexual orientation and gender. The policy has eighteen categories.

Reports claimed Google employees have sent a petition to CEO Sundar Pichai to include casteismin the code of conduct rules in the worldwide list.

(With inputs from Agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE