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 2021-10-17 Kellen Browning

Context & Ripple Effects

#AppleToo had already gained a public advocate in Apple engineer Cher Scarlett, who described a movement focused on workplace issues at Apple. Parrish's departure puts one of that movement's leaders into a dispute over the handling of files during an internal investigation.

The episode follows Ashley Gjøvik's firing over alleged confidential-information leaks and a separate report that a Sunnyvale employee who raised workplace concerns was fired after posting internal-email screenshots. Together, the coverage ties workplace advocacy at Apple to increasingly visible conflicts over internal information and disciplinary processes.

First-order effects

Parrish loses her role at Apple, while Apple frames the employment action around files deleted before they were provided for an investigation.
#AppleToo loses a leader at a moment when its workplace concerns are being aired by multiple current and former Apple employees.

Second-order effects

Apple employees raising workplace concerns face a sharper practical divide between public disclosure and the company's handling of confidential internal material, as illustrated by the reported action involving Gjøvik.
The cluster of reported firings gives the movement's advocates a shared set of cases through which to scrutinize how Apple conducts investigations and enforces information rules.

Third-order effects

If comparable disputes continue, workplace activism at tightly controlled technology companies will increasingly be shaped by conflicts over evidence preservation, confidentiality and employees' ability to publicize internal concerns.
The pattern points to employee-relations disputes becoming reputational issues for companies when internal disciplinary actions overlap with organized workplace advocacy.

The trend: Workplace organizing in major technology companies is becoming entangled with corporate controls over internal information and investigations.

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…
@antoniogm @antoniogm on x
Ooo. Aaah. The Apples and Netflixes of the world figured out the way to quash their internal ‘revolts’ was simply enforcing NDAs rather than caving. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@cherthedev Cher Scarlett on x
If you think it's a coincidence that the one colleague who stepped forward to help me lead #AppleToo using her name was investigated, suspended, and fired is a coincidence you need to check your bias. Janneke, like me, has been firm about her boundaries. #SilencedNoMore
@zoeschiffer Zoë Schiffer on x
I spoke with the fired #AppleToo organizer, Janneke Parrish, who plans to sue for wrongful termination. She explained the details of why she was fired and her views on the future of the nascent organizing movement. https://twitter.com/...

Chronicles