If she is behind, he yells at her in a language she doesn't understand. Women who don't meet their quota are often yelled at, and sometimes hit. The factory is terribly hot and ventilation is poor. Many of the women suffer respiratory problems from the fabric dust. Even though the company makes deductions off Ana s pay for government health insurance, supervisors often refuse to allow workers to leave to see a doctor.
Workers also have to get permission to go to the washroom.
They need to get a ticket from the supervisor and are only allowed to go twice in a day. When Ana first applied for work, she was required to have a medical examination to prove she wasn't pregnant. When women get pregnant, the company forces them to resign so it doesn t have to provide maternity benefits. Although the factory is Korean-owned, the labels on the shirts are in English. Ana doesn't read English and doesn't know the names of the retailers for whom she is sewing.