The National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) of the United States has filed a complaint against Apple, stating that the company violated employees' rights to organise and advocate for better working conditions by implementing a number of illegal workplace regulations. The case, filed late Monday, alleges that Apple required employees across the country to sign illegal secrecy, non-disclosure and non-compete agreements, as well as enforcing sweeping misconduct and social media policies.
According to the NLRB, these behaviours are ‘interference, restraint and coercion’ of employees exercising their rights under federal labour law.
An Apple spokesperson responded to the charges, saying, "We strongly disagree with these claims and will continue to share the facts at the hearing." The corporation spoke about its commitment to employees' ability to debate pay, hours and working conditions, which it maintains is reflected in its employment regulations.
If a settlement is not reached, the matter will be heard by an administrative judge starting in January. The NLRB is attempting to get Apple to remove the purportedly unlawful policies and alert its entire US staff of their legal rights. The administrative judge's decisions are subject to review by the five-member labour board, whose rulings can be appealed to federal courts.
The complaint stems from allegations brought against Apple in 2021 by Ashley Gjovik, a former senior engineering manager. Gjovik said that different business policies, particularly those governing confidentiality and social media use, prohibited employees from discussing sensitive problems including pay equity and sex discrimination. Gjovik also filed a case in California federal court last year, alleging that Apple retaliated against her for filing the NLRB charges, which the firm has disputed. Although a judge dismissed the majority of Gjovik's complaint on Tuesday, she was given the option to alter some of her allegations.
Apple currently has at least two more pending NLRB complaints. One concerns allegations that the corporation fired an employee at its Cupertino, California, headquarters for criticising management, while another alleges unlawful involvement with a union drive at an Atlanta retail store. Apple has denied all misconduct in these lawsuits.
The National Labour Relations Board found in May that a manager at an Apple store in Manhattan unlawfully interrogated an employee about his union affiliation. Since 2022, two Apple stores in the United States have been unionised, with efforts underway to organise many more.
