The National Labor Relations Board accused Apple of violating employees’ rights to advocate for better working conditions. at complaint discovered ReutersThe agency alleges that Apple illegally fired employees who used Slack to advocate for workplace changes at the company. Separately, the NLRB accused Apple of forcing another employee to delete social media posts.
The case stems from a 2021 complaint filed by #AppleToo co-host Janneke Parrish. In October of that year, Apple fired Parrish for sharing confidential information. claims she denies. According to the complaint, Parrish used Slack and public social media posts to advocate for permanent remote work.
She also shared an open letter criticizing the tech giant, distributed a pay equity survey, and detailed instances of sexism and racism at Apple. Apple’s policy prohibits employees from creating Slack channels without first getting permission from a manager, according to the labor board. Instead, workers should bring workplace concerns to management or company-maintained “talent advocacy” groups. Examples of the types of concerns some employees have expressed using Slack can be seen below: 2021 tweets says former Apple employee Ashley Gjøvik.
“We look forward to holding Apple accountable at trial for enforcing ostensibly illegal rules and firing employees who engaged in core protected activities accusing them of gender discrimination and other civil rights violations,” said Laurie Burgess, Parrish’s attorney. “He said. Reuters.
Apple disputed Parrish’s claims. “We are always committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace. We take all concerns seriously, investigate them thoroughly whenever they are raised, and do not discuss them without discussion to respect the privacy of all individuals involved. It is not a specific employee issue,” an Apple spokesperson told Engadget. “We strongly disagree with these claims and will continue to share the facts at hearings.”
If Apple doesn’t reach a settlement with the agency, a first hearing is scheduled for February with an administrative judge. The NLRB is seeking to force the company to change its policy and compensate Parrish for the financial hardship he suffered as a result of his termination. Last week, the NLRB accused Apple of forcing its employees to sign illegal and overly broad confidentiality, non-disclosure and non-compete agreements.
Updated 7:09 PM ET: Added Apple’s comments.
