Apple maintains office insurance policies that unlawfully discourage staff from discussing working situations, a US labour company has discovered.
The Nationwide Labor Relations Board will problem a criticism focusing on the insurance policies and claiming Apple executives made feedback that stymied employee organising until the corporate settles first, an company official stated on Monday in an e-mail reviewed by Reuters.
The official had despatched the e-mail to Ashley Gjovik, a former Apple senior engineering supervisor who filed complaints towards the corporate in 2021.
The NLRB investigates fees filed by employees and unions and decides whether or not to problem formal complaints towards firms. The company can search to strike down office insurance policies and require employers to inform employees of authorized violations.
Apple didn’t reply to a request for remark. The corporate has stated it takes employee complaints critically and completely investigates them.
An NLRB spokeswoman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Gjovik in an e-mail on Tuesday stated she hoped the event will spur extra Apple employees to talk up about working situations and to organise.
In her complaints, Gjovik stated varied Apple guidelines, together with these referring to confidentiality and surveillance insurance policies, deter staff from discussing points akin to pay fairness and intercourse discrimination with one another and the media.
Gjovik additionally cited a 2021 e-mail from Apple Chief Govt Tim Prepare dinner that allegedly sought to cease employees from talking to the press and stated “individuals who leak confidential info don’t belong right here.”
Many tech firms have strict confidentiality insurance policies designed to guard commerce secrets and techniques.
US labour regulation prohibits insurance policies that might discourage employees from exercising their proper to band collectively to enhance working situations.
Apple is going through a number of pending NLRB complaints, together with one claiming the tech big unlawfully required employees at an Atlanta retail retailer to attend anti-union conferences. Apple has denied wrongdoing.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
