The National Labor Relations Board has accused Apple of infringing on its employees’ rights to advocate for better working conditions. In a complaint spotted by Reuters, the agency alleges Apple illegally fired an employee who had used Slack to advocate for workplace changes at the company and forced another worker to delete a social media post. The case stems from a 2021 complaint filed by #AppleToo co-organizer Janneke Parrish, who was fired for sharing confidential information, a claim she denies. Parrish used Slack and public social media posts to advocate for permanent remote work, criticize the tech giant, distribute a pay equity survey, and recount instances of discrimination at Apple. Apple’s policies prohibit employees from creating Slack channels without permission and require concerns to be directed to management or a “People Support” group. An initial hearing is scheduled for February with an administrative judge unless Apple settles with the agency to change its policy and reimburse Parrish for financial hardships. The NLRB recently accused Apple of forcing employees to sign illegal agreements as well. Apple has not responded to Engadget’s comment request.
