Intel Accused by Workers of Prioritizing Chip Output Over Safety
- State agencies investigated plants after Covid-19 complaints
- Company says it has responded to concerns with new policies
Intel fabrication plant in Chandler, Arizona.
Photographer: Matt York/APBloomberg’s daily technology newsletter is chronicling the impact of Covid-19 on the global tech industry. Sign up here.
Intel Corp. compromised worker safety at some of its factories to maintain chip production in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to complaints filed with government agencies and employees at one of the sites.
At a plant in Chandler, Arizona, the world’s largest semiconductor maker did not isolate staff that worked closely with teammates who had tested positive and did not institute tests, people who work there said. Factory managers also dismissed concerns that social-distancing guidelines were not being followed properly, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because they fear sanction by their employer.