The labor authorities consider that Apple managers violated the rights of workers

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found merit in allegations that senior executives at Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), violated national labor law. This decision comes after the NLRB also determined that Apple illegally interfered with the organization of workers in the New York and Atlanta stores.

These allegations were brought by Ashley Gjøvik, a former senior program engineer at Apple.

Gjøvik explained that Apple's employment policies "coercively silence Apple employees and discourage them from engaging in protected activities through overly broad and vague language, as well as through the implication of constant surveillance."

Gjøvik submitted a number of documents as part of its complaint to the NLRB, including an email from CEO Tim Cook. After a reporter broadcast a meeting of all Apple employees live on Twitter in September 2021, Cook sent a memo to staff in which he expressed his frustration over the leaks to the media.

“I want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to identify the leakers. As you know, we do not tolerate disclosures of confidential information, whether it is a product's intellectual property or the details of a confidential meeting."Cook wrote. “We know that leakers make up a small number of people. We also know that people who leak sensitive information don't belong here."

A representative of the NLRB said that work rules, handbook rules and confidentiality rules at Apple "tend to interfere with, restrict or coerce employees in the exercise of their right to protected concerted activity," according to these findings. . Under employment law, this “protected concerted” activity refers to actions such as speaking to the media or speaking openly with co-workers about wages and benefits, among other things. It is illegal for employers to threaten or question employees for their involvement in these behaviors.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment on the NLRB's findings.

Even while still an Apple employee, Gjøvik denounced the sexism she suffered in the workplace, as well as the ways in which Apple polices its employees..

"Apple pressured employees to upload their 'face print data' to Apple's internal servers, capturing employees' secret photos and videos, and telling them that face-related records were automatically uploaded from their iPhones every day." days," Gjøvik claimed at the time. He added that it was unclear what data of his was being uploaded and what organizations within Apple's corporate structure could access his personal information. As The Verge reported, Apple employees are often routinely prevented from keeping personal and work mobile phones and Apple IDs separate.

Gjøvik was fired by Apple in September 2021 for leaking confidential information; She said she believes she was fired in retaliation after informing the EPA that her office was built at the triple toxic waste site in Silicon Valley, where cracks in the floor exposed employees to carcinogenic fumes.

The NLRB has yet to rule on Gjøvik's allegations that she was illegally fired in retaliation for speaking out about working conditions.