U.S. NLRB Accuses Apple of Violating Worker Rights

Apple Inc. has been accused of violating labour laws by enforcing workplace policies that allegedly restrict employees’ rights to organise and discuss their pay, hours, and other job-related issues.

The U.S. National Labour Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint accusing the tech giant of imposing unlawful rules across its workforce, including confidentiality and non-compete agreements that allegedly curtail workers’ ability to speak out about workplace issues.

The complaint claims Apple introduced policies that interfere with the rights of employees to organise and advocate for better working conditions, which are protected under federal law. 

These policies include broad restrictions on social media use and workplace misconduct, which the NLRB argues discourage employees from discussing pay equity, discrimination, and other important issues both internally and externally.

A spokesperson for Apple responded, stating that the company values the rights of its workers to discuss their wages, hours, and work environment, and strongly rejected the allegations. “We disagree with the claims and will present our case at the hearing,” the statement read.

If a settlement cannot be reached, the case will move to a hearing before an administrative judge scheduled for January. The NLRB is seeking to require Apple to revoke the disputed policies and notify all U.S.-based employees of their legal rights under federal labour law.

This issue follows multiple charges filed by former Apple senior engineering manager Ashley Gjovik, who has long spoken about Apple’s workplace policies. Gjovik claims these policies deter employees from speaking openly about working conditions and also shield the company from public inspection. She filed additional lawsuits, alleging that Apple retaliated against her for raising these issues.

While some parts of Gjovik’s lawsuit were recently dismissed, she has been given the opportunity to amend and refile certain claims. Apple has consistently denied these accusations, maintaining that it has acted lawfully.

Apple is also facing other legal challenges related to its treatment of employees. In one ongoing NLRB case, a former employee alleges the company dismissed them for criticising management, while another involves claims of interference in a union campaign at a retail store in Atlanta. 

Again, in May, the NLRB found that Apple unlawfully questioned a worker in its Manhattan store about their union support.

Despite these disputes, Apple has so far seen two of its U.S. retail stores unionise since 2022, with continuous work to organise other locations across the country.