Apple Faces Investigation as Tensions With Employees Escalate:

The U.S. Department of Labor has launched an investigation into Apple in connection with a surge of

employee complaints, at the same time tensions rise between the company’s well-known culture of secrecy,

the concerns of current employees, and the grievances of former employees that have entered the public domain.

In a statement, a Department of Labor spokesperson said: we can confirm that there is an open investigation for complainants

regarding the violations and reports they have filed.

When a complaint involves alleged retaliation by an employer, the Whistleblower Protection Program under the Department of Labor, administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration,

investigates such cases, which impact employee safety.

 

 

Photo of Apple Park
Photo of Apple Park

The Department of Labor also declined to disclose any details about the investigation, the nature of the violations, or the reasons

that prompted the complaints.

Meanwhile, former Apple employee Ashley Gjovik had received a notification from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that it had opened an investigation based on a complaint she had filed earlier

that same year.

Ashley Gjovik, who served as a senior engineering program manager at Apple, stated that in

recent months she had raised concerns with the company in

March of that same year 2021 regarding environmental health and safety issues at the Sunnyvale office in

California, where she had been working.

She further stated that the company dismissed those concerns and asked her not to raise them again. Gjovik

also filed complaints with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Gjovik commented that she had been placed on leave in early August and was terminated on September 9th,

according to the complaint filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, in which she alleges that this constitutes

retaliation for having reported her previous concerns.

In response to the announcement of the Department of Labor’s investigation and Gjovik’s retaliation claim, the company repeated a previous statement

in which it said: we remain committed to creating and maintaining a positive work environment.

Apple Under Investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor:

 

In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said: we take all such concerns seriously,

and thoroughly investigate every time such concerns are raised. We also do not discuss matters

relating to employees out of respect for the privacy of the individuals involved.

Both the Financial Times “Financial Times” and the New York Times “New York Times“

had also previously reported on the Department of Labor’s investigation, and this investigation represents an escalation

of the growing tension between the iPhone maker (Apple) and its workforce.

In recent months, those employees broke the company’s legendary culture of secrecy in a movement

that became known as #AppleToo, in order to speak publicly about controversial hiring decisions,

significant pay disparities, and remote work policies as well.

 

Apple also faced complaints from both current and former employees filed with the National

Labor Relations Board, including from #AppleToo leader Janneke Parrish, who said she was fired

in retaliation for her organizing efforts.

Apple also issued a statement last month affirming every employee’s right to speak about wages and working conditions, and described the #AppleToo movement as a win.

Apple Faces Investigation as Tensions With Employees Escalate:
apple-faces-investigation

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