Hundreds of Apple workers across Europe who were employed to evaluate its virtual assistant Siri recordings for errors have lost their jobs after the company announced it was suspending the programme, referred to as ‘grading’, earlier this month, The Guardian reports. More than 300 employees have had their contracts ended in the company’s Cork, Ireland facility alone, according to former employees, with more sent home from other sites across Europe. The decision followed a story in the Guardian that revealed the workers frequently heard confidential medical information and couples having sex while checking the Siri recordings. The staff had been on paid leave since 2 August, the day Apple announced its decision to suspend the programme. The graders, employed through contracting firms, were sent home that Friday, with many told there was no work for them due to “technical errors”. However, last week the contracting firms were told by Apple that the grading work would be terminated, leading to the mass job losses with little notice. The loss of jobs have led to an outcry with some workers saying Apple takes ‘absolutely no responsibility in the employment of contractors and their treatment in work.’ Apple has said that only its own employees will be able to access recordings in the future and not third-party contracted workers.