Apple workplace rules violate U.S. labor law, agency finds

Apple Inc maintains
workplace policies that unlawfully discourage employees from
discussing working conditions, a U.S. labor agency has found.
The National Labor Relations Board 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.
The 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.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment. The company
has said it takes worker complaints seriously and thoroughly
investigates them.
An NLRB spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.
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.
Gjovik also cited a 2021 email from Apple Chief Executive
Tim Cook that allegedly sought to stop workers from speaking to
the press and said “people who leak confidential information do
not belong here.”
Many tech companies have strict confidentiality policies
designed to protect trade secrets.
U.S. labor law prohibits policies that could discourage
workers from exercising their right to band together to improve
working conditions.
Apple is facing several pending NLRB complaints, including
one claiming the tech giant unlawfully required workers at an
Atlanta retail store to attend anti-union meetings. Apple has
denied wrongdoing.