Mattel has become the largest toy company in the world since it started production in 1945. However they were only able to achieve that title due to their practice of taking shortcuts, compromising the safety of the toys that they manufacture, and the unethical treatment of the workers they employ.
When Mattel Inc. was first opened in 1945, every toy they manufactured was made right here in the United States. Mattel has long since outsourced their factories, and they are now primarily located in China. Sixty –five percent of Mattel’s toys, including the ever popular Barbie doll are made, and packaged in Chinese factories.
Mattel took advantage of China’s poor economic status and poverty level, deciding that outsourcing the factories was the right thing to do. Because of the difference in pricing between operating a factory located in the United States, versus a factory in China, Mattel was able to cut costs. In the United States, there are minimum wage laws that mandate what are the lowest wages someone can be paid, without violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA). However, in China there are no minimum wage laws. This allows Mattel to take advantage of their Chinese workers. The staff Mattel employs, usually young women work long hours- 10 hours a day/six days a week, for as little as $175 a month, which is considered to be an average pay in those regions of the world.
One of the smaller factories owned by Mattel, Sturdy Products, who manufacture Disney’s best-selling Cars toys, was put under investigation in 2011. The investigation carried on by was carried out with the help of the human rights group Sacom (Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour). Their goal was to look into the treatment of its staff. One of the investigators has been quoted as saying, “The rampant violations at Sturdy Products, including excessive overtime, arbitrary wages, unfair punitive fines, child labour and negligence of occupational health, prove that the pledges are empty statements. There is no effective enforcement mechanism and remedies for workers at all."
It was found that not only did Mattel have staff working over three times the amount of overtime allowed by law, but they were also employing children. These children worked the extremely long hours alongside adults, in factories with chemicals used, that were found in adhesives and thinners. This coupled with the poor ventilation, caused employees to claim that three workers had fallen ill.
These workers had signed a “voluntary” document, saying that they agreed to work beyond the maximum overtime legal limit of 36 hours a month. They received no extra pay for their work, and it is claimed that the extra overtime is only necessary to allow the staff to meet demands in western shops for the latest toys.
Besides Mattel’s mistreatment of its workers, Mattel has also had multiple compromises on their toy safety. NBC News stated, “Mattel announced recalls Tuesday for 9 million more Chinese-made toys, including popular Barbie, Polly Pocket, and ‘Cars’ movie items.” This was only one of the many times that Mattel’s toys have been recalled due to the fact that their toys are often made with lead paint, and contained tiny, powerful magnets that could be swallowed accidently by small children. This toy recall in 2007, was only able to get rid of that specific lot of toys. Many of the toys made with the magnets were much older, and could have already been purchased as early as 2003. These toys have resulted in the death of one U.S. child and the injuries of nineteen U.S. children.
Their [China], does not have safety standards at the same levels as those of the United States. This allows companies such as Mattel, to take shortcuts when making its products. But the recalled toys that Mattel produces have not only been limited to having been manufactured in Chinese factories, they were also made in the U.S., such as Power Wheels, a toy sold by Fisher-Price that was recalled in 1998.
The New York Times stated, “Mattel realized very early that they were always going to be in the crosshairs of sensitivities about child labor and product safety and they knew they had to really play it straight,” (Barboza). Since the last Mattel toy recall in 2007, Mattel has a test lab, where lab workers are employed to test the toys before they are mass produced. This involves breaking the toys, taking them apart, and analyzing the materials that the toys are made of. The goals of these test labs are to ultimately protect Mattel, from being questioned about the risks that they take in producing toys in China.
Works Cited
Barboza, D.. N.p.. Web. 7 Mar 2014.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/business/26toy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.
N.p.. Web. 7 Mar 2014. <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20254745/ns/business-consumer_news/t/mattel-issues-new-massive-china-toy-recall/
Chamberlain, Gerthain, . N.p., n. d. 13 Mar 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/law/2011/aug/27/disney-factory-sweatshop-suicide-claims>.
When Mattel Inc. was first opened in 1945, every toy they manufactured was made right here in the United States. Mattel has long since outsourced their factories, and they are now primarily located in China. Sixty –five percent of Mattel’s toys, including the ever popular Barbie doll are made, and packaged in Chinese factories.
Mattel took advantage of China’s poor economic status and poverty level, deciding that outsourcing the factories was the right thing to do. Because of the difference in pricing between operating a factory located in the United States, versus a factory in China, Mattel was able to cut costs. In the United States, there are minimum wage laws that mandate what are the lowest wages someone can be paid, without violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA). However, in China there are no minimum wage laws. This allows Mattel to take advantage of their Chinese workers. The staff Mattel employs, usually young women work long hours- 10 hours a day/six days a week, for as little as $175 a month, which is considered to be an average pay in those regions of the world.
One of the smaller factories owned by Mattel, Sturdy Products, who manufacture Disney’s best-selling Cars toys, was put under investigation in 2011. The investigation carried on by was carried out with the help of the human rights group Sacom (Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour). Their goal was to look into the treatment of its staff. One of the investigators has been quoted as saying, “The rampant violations at Sturdy Products, including excessive overtime, arbitrary wages, unfair punitive fines, child labour and negligence of occupational health, prove that the pledges are empty statements. There is no effective enforcement mechanism and remedies for workers at all."
It was found that not only did Mattel have staff working over three times the amount of overtime allowed by law, but they were also employing children. These children worked the extremely long hours alongside adults, in factories with chemicals used, that were found in adhesives and thinners. This coupled with the poor ventilation, caused employees to claim that three workers had fallen ill.
These workers had signed a “voluntary” document, saying that they agreed to work beyond the maximum overtime legal limit of 36 hours a month. They received no extra pay for their work, and it is claimed that the extra overtime is only necessary to allow the staff to meet demands in western shops for the latest toys.
Besides Mattel’s mistreatment of its workers, Mattel has also had multiple compromises on their toy safety. NBC News stated, “Mattel announced recalls Tuesday for 9 million more Chinese-made toys, including popular Barbie, Polly Pocket, and ‘Cars’ movie items.” This was only one of the many times that Mattel’s toys have been recalled due to the fact that their toys are often made with lead paint, and contained tiny, powerful magnets that could be swallowed accidently by small children. This toy recall in 2007, was only able to get rid of that specific lot of toys. Many of the toys made with the magnets were much older, and could have already been purchased as early as 2003. These toys have resulted in the death of one U.S. child and the injuries of nineteen U.S. children.
Their [China], does not have safety standards at the same levels as those of the United States. This allows companies such as Mattel, to take shortcuts when making its products. But the recalled toys that Mattel produces have not only been limited to having been manufactured in Chinese factories, they were also made in the U.S., such as Power Wheels, a toy sold by Fisher-Price that was recalled in 1998.
The New York Times stated, “Mattel realized very early that they were always going to be in the crosshairs of sensitivities about child labor and product safety and they knew they had to really play it straight,” (Barboza). Since the last Mattel toy recall in 2007, Mattel has a test lab, where lab workers are employed to test the toys before they are mass produced. This involves breaking the toys, taking them apart, and analyzing the materials that the toys are made of. The goals of these test labs are to ultimately protect Mattel, from being questioned about the risks that they take in producing toys in China.
Works Cited
Barboza, D.. N.p.. Web. 7 Mar 2014.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/business/26toy.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.
N.p.. Web. 7 Mar 2014. <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/20254745/ns/business-consumer_news/t/mattel-issues-new-massive-china-toy-recall/
Chamberlain, Gerthain, . N.p., n. d. 13 Mar 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/law/2011/aug/27/disney-factory-sweatshop-suicide-claims>.