Apple Workplace Rules Violate U.S. Labor Laws

Apple Inc. maintains workplace policies that unlawfully discourage employees from discussing working conditions, a US labor agency has found, Daniel Wiessner reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: Ashley Gjovik, a former Apple senior engineering manager who filed complaints against the company in 2021, said in an email that she hoped the development will spur more Apple workers to speak up about working conditions and to organize.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will issue a complaint targeting the policies and claiming Apple executives made comments that stymied worker organizing unless the company settles first, an agency official said on Monday in an email reviewed by Reuters.

The official had sent the email to Ashley Gjovik, a former Apple senior engineering manager who filed complaints against the company in 2021.

NLRB investigates charges filed by workers and unions and decides whether to issue formal complaints against companies. The agency can seek to strike down workplace policies and require employers to notify workers of legal violations.

Gjovik in an email on Tuesday said she hoped the development will spur more Apple workers to speak up about working conditions and to organize.

In her complaints, Gjovik said various Apple rules, including those relating to confidentiality and surveillance policies, deter employees from discussing issues such as pay equity and sex discrimination with each other and the media.

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