Filings: NLRB is investigating two complaints by Apple employees, including one by senior engineering PM Ashley Gjøvik who alleges workplace harassment and more
even people who have been vocally supportive of others who've taken issue with policies and treatment of employees. I can only tell so much from the outside, but that seems odd. Jeff / @darchmare : @collindonnell I am not the kind of person who is uncritical of corporations, even those I mostly like. It's not like this particular one hasn't done shady stuff in the past. But... well, I guess we'll see if anything comes of it. 🤷🏻♂ ️ Collin Donnell / @collindonnell : @Darchmare The data part didn't make sense to me because I was there within this calendar year and never experienced. Ricky Mondello / @rmondello : (This is one of the least important thing happening right now, but the only one I feel like I can put words to. The amount of human suffering we're all witnessing on a daily basis is difficult to reason about or have a useful opinion on.) Ricky Mondello / @rmondello : Corporations don't need anyone's defense. They have money, lawyers, and a brand to protect them. But _the truth_ is critically important. We need to recognize when someone is manipulating the empathy and good will of others to fuel a personal vendetta and warpath. https://twitter.com/... Jeff / @darchmare : I didn't want to say anything as it wasn't my place to do so, but I'm glad that I'm not the only one to get the feeling something was ‘off’ about this whole thing. I've gotten a strong throwing-spaghetti-at-the-wall-to-see- what-sticks vibe from the whole thing. https://twitter.com/... @_shantini_ : I just wanted to say I got a *lot* of messages in support of this post. A lot of people, like me, struggled with this situation because it feels horrible to doubt a woman who comes forward with allegations. I still don't doubt that people mistreated her. That's the sad part. https://twitter.com/... @kitchens_sync : Shantini has summed this situation up better than I ever could, and the whole situation is just disappointing to me https://twitter.com/... @_shantini_ : I would like to reiterate: I do believe people were really shitty to them. However i think it has progressed way past that point an become a tale of vengeance. @_shantini_ : This person has a lot of support. They've gained it by taking advantage of the anger and frustration of other people. It's predatory. They weaponize their followers against people. In private messages, they are extremely abrasive and cruel. @_shantini_ : This is about a person whose name starts with “A.” @_shantini_ : I have left race out of this, but there is a recurring theme here of white tears being used to co-opt the struggles of minorities. This is just like twisting the dagger: https://twitter.com/... @_shantini_ : This is so damaging to other women. To those afraid to speak up. By creating bogus, unsubstantiated filings with the DOJ and other regulatory bodies, this person has just endangered the future cases of people with legitimate claims. @_shantini_ : This person has taken the spotlight for themselves and deliberately undermined others' concerted efforts to improve and challenge the company. Through their actions this person contributes to an insidious narrative: that women make things up and are trying to get attention. @_shantini_ : They say things like: Apple violated my privacy by accessing my data. Full picture: Apple accessed data from an Apple-owned prototype device that comes with no expectation of privacy. @_shantini_ : Did they suffer abuse? Not my place to speculate. However they have lied about actions Apple has taken. They have misled people by leaving out key details. They find new angles to make all of Apple out to be the Big Bad Guy. The goalposts move hourly. @_shantini_ : I wish this was a new thing. But people have been doing this for a long time. Appropriating systems created to help marginalized people for personal gain. Exploiting the trust of others. Think: Shaun King. @apple_tomorrow : There certainly seems like there is a personal agenda on part of some of the people “speaking up”. Not saying Apple can't get better or that there aren't problems, of course there are. But I feel like some of what is being thrown out here is not compatible with ground realities. https://twitter.com/... @_shantini_ : Okay at the risk of *gestures wildly at Twitter* Apple is a big company. It's got some problems. But it's a great place to work for a lot of people. A certain employee has made it their mission to bring down Apple through whatever means necessary. Including straight LIES. Zoë Schiffer / @zoeschiffer : The charge from @ashleygjovik concerns allegations of harassment, intimidation, and retaliation on the part of her boss, Apple employee relations, & others Zoë Schiffer / @zoeschiffer : The labor board investigates every charge is gets — so this is kind of a wait and see situation. The NLRB will make a decision in the coming months about whether it believes the allegations have merit. Zoë Schiffer / @zoeschiffer : The charge from @cherthedev concerns Apple allegedly suppressing worker organizing — specifically the pay surveys & pay equity Slack channel Matt Pearce / @mattdpearce : this is going to be an interesting NLRB case https://twitter.com/...
Reuters
Context & Ripple Effects
The filings bring together two distinct workplace disputes at Apple: Ashley Gjøvik’s allegations of harassment, intimidation and retaliation, and a separate claim that employee organizing around pay surveys and a pay-equity Slack channel was suppressed.
The NLRB places Apple’s handling of the two employee complaints under formal scrutiny, while giving Gjøvik and the other complainant a labor-law forum for their allegations.
Employee discussions of pay and working conditions, including the cited Slack channel, become central evidence in the organizing-related complaint.
Second-order effects
Apple’s workplace rules and manager communications face closer examination because the organizing claim directly concerns employees’ ability to discuss compensation and coordinate internally.
The subsequent NLRB complaints indicate a broader shift from individual employee disputes toward regulatory challenges to the internal rules that govern collective discussion and advocacy at Apple.
If regulators continue to treat internal communications restrictions as labor-rights issues, large technology employers will have to design confidentiality and collaboration policies around employee organizing protections as well as corporate control.
The trend: Workplace disputes at major technology companies are increasingly becoming tests of whether internal communication and confidentiality rules restrict collective employee advocacy.
“Ashley Gjøvik said she spent months talking w/ #Apple about unsafe working conditions & sexism. Gjøvik filed a @NLRB complaint alleging 13 instances of alleged retaliation including workplace harassment, reassigning supervisory responsibilities, & giving her undesirable tasks.” …
Yes, I filed the charge on behalf of myself and Apple employees on September 1st against Apple for violations of the NLRA. These all revolve around unlawful conduct and unlawful rules that have been engaged in over the past 5 months, particularly over the last month.
Apparently #Apple already assigned a team of lawyers to my NLRB case. 2 Partners & 1 Assoc. The Partners specialize in “defending leading companies” against “whistleblowers,” & provide strategy on “union avoidance.” The assoc prev clerked w/ NLRB & EEOC. https://www.nlrb.gov/... …
If you are an Apple employee and you were told by your leadership or the People team or Employee Relations not to participate in the wage transparency survey, not to talk about your pay, or were coercively questioned about it: please reach out to me or the NLRB Oakland office.
Tonight, a previous colleague w/ a large following blocked me & posted a long thread abt me. She admitted she doesn't know what happened to me, but proceeded to accuse me of being a liar & undermining other victims. She called me abrasive, cruel, attention-seeking, & a predator.
This also applies if anyone from these teams told you that they don't support or condone it, or made you feel in any way that your participation would put your job in jeopardy, or would be perceived in a way that would negatively impact your position or compensation at Apple.
@ashleygjovik @CA_DIR Outside her legal battle, why @ashleygjovik is on leave is far from the biggest issue. Don't dismiss this story based on doubts, while ignoring the other 99% of the evidence, not to mention the many others now publicly sharing similar experiences.
So many emails and DMs since yesterday with 1 question: “Are you filing an NLRB complaint?” I've already contacted the NLRB about the concerted activity suppression I have been talking about for a month. At the beginning of the week, I encouraged my colleagues to do the same.
It is challenging going through life as a woman navigating spaces dominated by men. Where women's voices don't matter and men make the rules. I am heartbroken and exhausted. We need to do better.
@collindonnell The thing that gets me is that there don't seem to be many (any?) Apple people publicly backing her — even people who have been vocally supportive of others who've taken issue with policies and treatment of employees. I can only tell so much from the outside, but t…
@collindonnell I am not the kind of person who is uncritical of corporations, even those I mostly like. It's not like this particular one hasn't done shady stuff in the past. But... well, I guess we'll see if anything comes of it. 🤷🏻♂ ️
(This is one of the least important thing happening right now, but the only one I feel like I can put words to. The amount of human suffering we're all witnessing on a daily basis is difficult to reason about or have a useful opinion on.)
Corporations don't need anyone's defense. They have money, lawyers, and a brand to protect them. But _the truth_ is critically important. We need to recognize when someone is manipulating the empathy and good will of others to fuel a personal vendetta and warpath. https://twitter…
I didn't want to say anything as it wasn't my place to do so, but I'm glad that I'm not the only one to get the feeling something was ‘off’ about this whole thing. I've gotten a strong throwing-spaghetti-at-the-wall-to-see- what-sticks vibe from the whole thing. https://twitter.c…
I just wanted to say I got a *lot* of messages in support of this post. A lot of people, like me, struggled with this situation because it feels horrible to doubt a woman who comes forward with allegations. I still don't doubt that people mistreated her. That's the sad part. http…
I would like to reiterate: I do believe people were really shitty to them. However i think it has progressed way past that point an become a tale of vengeance.
This person has a lot of support. They've gained it by taking advantage of the anger and frustration of other people. It's predatory. They weaponize their followers against people. In private messages, they are extremely abrasive and cruel.
I have left race out of this, but there is a recurring theme here of white tears being used to co-opt the struggles of minorities. This is just like twisting the dagger: https://twitter.com/...
This is so damaging to other women. To those afraid to speak up. By creating bogus, unsubstantiated filings with the DOJ and other regulatory bodies, this person has just endangered the future cases of people with legitimate claims.
This person has taken the spotlight for themselves and deliberately undermined others' concerted efforts to improve and challenge the company. Through their actions this person contributes to an insidious narrative: that women make things up and are trying to get attention.
They say things like: Apple violated my privacy by accessing my data. Full picture: Apple accessed data from an Apple-owned prototype device that comes with no expectation of privacy.
Did they suffer abuse? Not my place to speculate. However they have lied about actions Apple has taken. They have misled people by leaving out key details. They find new angles to make all of Apple out to be the Big Bad Guy. The goalposts move hourly.
I wish this was a new thing. But people have been doing this for a long time. Appropriating systems created to help marginalized people for personal gain. Exploiting the trust of others. Think: Shaun King.
There certainly seems like there is a personal agenda on part of some of the people “speaking up”. Not saying Apple can't get better or that there aren't problems, of course there are. But I feel like some of what is being thrown out here is not compatible with ground realities. …
Okay at the risk of *gestures wildly at Twitter* Apple is a big company. It's got some problems. But it's a great place to work for a lot of people. A certain employee has made it their mission to bring down Apple through whatever means necessary. Including straight LIES.
The charge from @ashleygjovik concerns allegations of harassment, intimidation, and retaliation on the part of her boss, Apple employee relations, & others
The labor board investigates every charge is gets — so this is kind of a wait and see situation. The NLRB will make a decision in the coming months about whether it believes the allegations have merit.