Janneke Parrish, a leader of the #AppleToo movement, says she was fired for deleting files off her work devices before handing them over for an investigation

New York Times 2021-10-16 Kellen Browning

Context & Ripple Effects

#AppleToo had already gained a public advocate in Apple engineer Cher Scarlett, whose account of the movement's workplace agenda framed the effort around internal workplace concerns. Parrish's departure puts one of its leaders at the center of an internal-investigation dispute.

The episode follows Apple's firing of Ashley Gjøvik amid allegations of confidential-information leaks after she had also raised workplace issues, creating a second prominent separation involving an employee critic.

First-order effects

Parrish is no longer at Apple, while the stated dispute over deleted work-device files becomes the immediate basis for her separation from the company.
#AppleToo loses a leader at the same time Apple is handling an internal investigation involving its workplace critics.

Second-order effects

The prior Gjøvik case and Parrish's firing give other Apple employees raising workplace concerns a more visible record of management actions tied to internal-information disputes.
Apple's explanation centers the handling of company files rather than the underlying workplace allegations, pushing public attention toward the boundary between employee advocacy and confidentiality obligations.

Third-order effects

If similar cases continue, workplace activism at tightly controlled technology companies may increasingly be contested through internal-investigation and information-handling procedures rather than the underlying employee complaints.
The pattern would make the durability of employee-led workplace movements depend more on distributed organizers and external visibility than on a few identifiable company insiders.

The trend: Employee workplace activism at large technology companies is increasingly colliding with corporate confidentiality and internal-investigation processes.

Discussion

@zoeschiffer @zoeschiffer on x
Breaking: Apple has fired Janneke Parrish, co-lead of the #AppleToo movement. Parrish was terminated for deleting files off her work devices during an internal investigation. The files included the apps Robinhood Pokémon GO, and Google Drive. https://twitter.com/...
@timnitgebru Timnit Gebru on x
“The reason, Ms. Parrish said she was told, was that she had deleted files from her company computer and phone before handing them over to be examined. She said she had deleted files that contained personal and financial information.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
@mmitchell_ai MMitchell on x
Another woman was “made an example out of” by her tech employer today. These companies appear to be openly firing women...particularly trans, Black women...for trying to stop discrimination in their workplace and products. Can no one do anything? https://www.theverge.com/...
@jannekeparrish Janneke Parrish on x
There are consequences for speaking out. There are consequences for doing the right thing. But we do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. #AppleToo is about asking Apple to do better, to end systemic discrimination, abuse, and pay inequity. Do the right thing. htt…
@creative_rants Creative Rants on x
Almost as if Apple is not fond of us employees organizing 🤔 https://twitter.com/...
@evan_greer Evan Greer on x
Apple doesn't just enable authoritarianism. It's an authoritarian company with an authoritarian work culture https://twitter.com/...
@moomanibe Aura🥨🥨🥨 on x
Between this and Netflix today it's a really good look at the playbook of what excuses corporations use to fire ‘inconvenient’ employees https://twitter.com/...
@sambhamilton Sam on x
@ZoeSchiffer They will find the pettiest things to fire you over. Every employee is expendable *especially* if you're going against their brand identity or speak out publicly. They will protect their trillion-dollar company at any cost
@juntawflo @juntawflo on x
@verge I think you have enough space to add this part to your tweet “with the company claiming it is because she deleted files off her work phone during an investigation”
@briannawu Brianna Wu on x
Something I learned running for Congress and meeting thousands of union members is tech needs to get over our elitism and join hands with other workers. Or this happens. https://twitter.com/...
@ihnatko Andy Ihnatko on x
@bd_nrg I hear you: she definitely gave Apple just cause. Having seen this play out with previous Apple whistleblowers, though, I can imagine that she knew Apple would just gin up a phony reason anyway, so she might as well erase her personal data from the phone.
@briannawu Brianna Wu on x
2/ There's no essential difference in a Stop & Shop worker asking for fair pay and an Apple worker asking for a sexual harassment free workplace. The bottom line is, without unions, the corporation is going to do what's best for the corporation.
@creative_rants Creative Rants on x
Apple: Think Different Employees: We have some new ideas for safer work conditions, pay transparency, career development, ... Apple: Uh, no not like that #AppleToo
@bd_nrg Bd.Nrg on x
@Ihnatko As an HR professional this scenario isn't uncommon. If she was instructed not to delete apps from her work phone during an investigation - termination is justifiable.
@esqueer_ @esqueer_ on x
This speaks to a broader issue of how Title VII and other workplace protections utterly fail to hold companies accountable. Max damages under Title VII is $300,000. That won't deter a company from unlawful employment actions when they're worth hundreds of billions or trillions. h…
@minhtngo Minh Ngo on x
This is retaliation. “Apple has fired Janneke Parrish, a leader of the #AppleToo movement, amid a broad crackdown on leaks and worker organizing.” https://www.theverge.com/...
@nash076 @nash076 on x
Tech companies all over showing their whole ass this week. https://twitter.com/...
@matthew_d_green Matthew Green on x
@TechTheory21 I like Apple and a lot of brilliant people work there. I'm not the person to fix their software security, but even if I was, I wouldn't be able to work in a place that muzzles its employees. Particularly after this summer.
@kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x
Tech companies watched what happened at Google and now they're just firing their activists right away. Happened at Amazon, and now Apple and Netflix. https://www.theverge.com/...
@ajplus @ajplus on x
Apple fired a leader of the #AppleToo movement that saw 500 employees report workplace harassment and discrimination. @verge reports Janneke Parrish was fired for allegedly deleting files on her work phone. She is the 2nd worker fired after speaking out on harassment in a month. …
@kellen_browning Kellen Browning on x
Janneke Parrish, one of the organizers of AppleToo, an activism movement within the company, says Apple fired her. “If me getting fired helps bring justice to people who have been seeking it, then it's a sacrifice I'm happy to make,” she told me. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@martinsfp Martin Sfp Bryant on x
It's always difficult to assess employee terminations from the outside as you don't have all the information, but being fired for deleting Robinhood, Pokémon GO, and Google Drive from your own phone certainly *sounds* unjust. https://www.theverge.com/...
@dlberes Damon Beres on x
“Internally, some employees expressed disbelief that Parrish's firing could be anything other than retaliation for organizing.” https://twitter.com/...
@applelaborers @applelaborers on x
Remember your rights! 1. HR exists to protect the company. 2. You do not have to talk to HR unless required to do so. 3. Investigations can be scary - we can help get you guidance. You can always reach out.
@reedalbergotti Reed Albergotti on x
Please read this article about Cher Scarlett, who is leading a worker uprising from inside Apple. It's a story about a fascinating and very resilient person, but it's also about the changes happening right now in tech and the headwinds against the change https://www.washingtonpos…

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