EX-APPLE EMPLOYEE FILES RICO LAWSUIT OVER WHISTLEBLOWER RETALIATION
An Apple whistleblower has filed a RICO Act lawsuit against the company, in a bid to get the iPhone maker to answer accusations of retaliation against the former employee. In September 2021, Apple fired Ashley Gjovik under claims of IP disclosure policy violations, which led to a number of legal actions being launched against the company. With a two-year statute of limitations for a number of potential civil claims close to expiry, Gjovik has filed a lawsuit against Apple to keep them in play. Gjovik's activity against Apple has been extensive in the last two years, including a win over an unemployment insurance appeal. There has also been an initial decision of merit on Gjovik's US Department of Labor charges of whistleblower retaliation under SOX, CERCLA, and the OSH Act, an NLRB charge over Apple's NDAs and employment policies that allegedly violate federal law, and other claims against the company. However, Gjovik wrote on Saturday that "I still do not have final decisions on my retaliation charges against Apple, and my two-year statute of limitations for many of my potential civil claims expires tomorrow." The civil lawsuit was filed on Friday as Gjovik had "decided that if I had to face Apple in court anyways, and only had one real chance to go after Apple on everything they've done to me, that I better include it all - and I did." The filing for the RICO Act lawsuit includes claims relating to whistleblower retaliation under Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts, which are the jurisdiction of federal courts. Read more here. Apple fired a senior engineer after she raised concerns over harassment
Ashley Gjøvik, a senior engineering program manager at Apple, has been publicly tweeting allegations of harassment and surveillance at the company for months. Now Apple has fired her for supposedly “leaking” insider information. Gjøvik told The Verge that she faced retaliation and intimidation from Apple almost immediately after making her struggle known to the public. “I’m disappointed that a company I have loved since I was a little girl would treat their employees this way,” she said. Her public-facing journey began in March of this year after she raised concerns over her office being built on a historical waste contamination site. Just a week later she began receiving intimidating messages from her managers. That problem escalated into a mess of harassment and privacy concerns.... Read the full article here. Ashley Gjøvik, lanceuse d’alerte licenciée par Apple, seule contre tous
Respect de la vie privée, c’est ça l’iPhone », claironne une récente réclame d’Apple. De longue date, la marque à la pomme a construit sa réputation sur une promesse : ses appareils au design impeccable sont des doudous qui ne mouchardent pas, ceux qui les utilisent peuvent dormir sur leurs deux oreilles. C’est beaucoup moins vrai pour les salariés de l’entreprise. Demandez à Ashley Gjøvik. Responsable du programme d’ingénierie, cette Américaine de 36 ans a été brutalement licenciée en septembre 2021. Sa faute ? Avoir révélé que, pour améliorer les fonctionnalités de ses produits, la firme de Cupertino n’hésite pas à transformer ses équipes en cobayes, soumis à une surveillance... Read the full article here. Is Apple violating workers' rights under the garb of confidentiality?
Prosecutors at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that “various work rules, handbook rules, and confidentiality rules” imposed by Apple “tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees” from exercising their rights to collective action, an NLRB spokesperson said on Monday (Jan. 31), according to a Bloomberg report. Some of Apple’s statements and conduct amount to violations of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the agency found. The original complaint, brought to the NLRB by an ex-employee, cited as an example a September 2021 email to employees from Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. In the email, Cook wrote that “people who leak confidential information do not belong here,” after two pieces of information from an internal meeting—frequently testing unvaccinated employees and details of a legal battle against Epic Games—leaked to the press. In the midst of such suppressive subtext, the NLRB argued, workers will be reluctant to confront their employer or take issues to the media or the government. Unless Apple settles, the NLRB will issue a complaint against the company. Read the full article here. Apple executives violated worker rights, U.S. labor officials say
Comments by Apple Inc. executives and policies imposed on employees have been deemed illegal by National Labor Relations Board prosecutors, who say they violate workers’ rights. The board’s general counsel’s office has determined that “various work rules” imposed by the tech giant “tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees” from exercising their rights to collective action, NLRB spokesperson Kayla Blado said Monday. The agency “found merit to a charge alleging statements and conduct by Apple — including high-level executives — also violated the National Labor Relations Act.” Unless Apple settles, the board’s regional director will issue a complaint against the Cupertino, Calif., company, Blado said in an email. The dispute was brought to the agency by former employee Ashley Gjovik, who filed claims in 2021 alleging that an email Chief Executive Tim Cook sent pledging to punish leakers, as well as a set of policies in Apple’s employee handbook, violated federal law. Gjovik’s filings cited policies restricting staff from disclosing “business information,” talking to reporters, revealing co-workers’ compensation or posting impolite tweets... Read the full article here. Apple workplace rules violate U.S. labor law, agency finds
Jan 31 (Reuters) - Apple Inc maintains workplace policies that unlawfully discourage employees from discussing working conditions, a U.S. labor agency has found. The National Labor Relations Board will issue a complaint targeting the policies and claiming Apple executives made comments that stymied worker organizing unless the company settles first, an agency official said on Monday in an email reviewed by Reuters. The official had sent the email to Ashley Gjovik, a former Apple senior engineering manager who filed complaints against the company in 2021. The NLRB investigates charges filed by workers and unions and decides whether to issue formal complaints against companies. The agency can seek to strike down workplace policies and require employers to notify workers of legal violations. Apple did not respond to a request for comment. The company has said it takes worker complaints seriously and thoroughly investigates them. Read full article here. Labor Department digs into complaint against Apple
The Labor Department is investigating a complaint by former Apple employee Ashley Gjøvik that the company illegally retaliated against her after she reported workplace safety issues to federal authorities. Gjøvik has filed complaints against Apple, with multiple government agencies alleging Apple has violated a range of laws covering worker rights and environmental conditions, among other issues. Apple pointed to its prior statement on her complaints, in which it said it is "deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace." Read the full article here. Apple Whistleblower Ashley Gjøvik Part 1
"In this episode of the Whistleblower of the Week podcast, FBI whistleblower Jane Turner talks with Ashley Gjøvik. A former senior engineering program manager at Apple, Gjøvik was fired from the tech giant after raising a series of concerns including environmental concerns, violations of employee privacy, harassment, and retaliation. In this first part of two-part podcast, Gjøvik recounts the story of how she blew the whistle on Apple’s mishandling of an office complex built on a Superfund site. Gjøvik discusses how her initial whistleblowing led to a long series of retaliation and harassment. Listen to this important episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Amazon. Subscribe on your favorite platform!" Original post is here. Illnesses Rise At California Apple Facility Built On Superfund Site Published by: Ring of Fire | Date: January 1 2022 Via America’s Lawyer: A former project manager turned whistleblower reveals the toxic work conditions at Apple’s Sunnyvale office, which sits atop a mound of industrial waste. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more... Read more here. Watch the video here. Apple fires employee who spoke out on workplace issues, cites alleged leak
Published by: AppleInsider | Date: September 10 2021 Apple on Thursday fired Ashley Gjovik for violating company policy regarding the disclosure of intellectual property, but failed to specify what confidential information, if any, was leaked. The senior engineering program manager has for the past few months publicly aired concerns over unresolved workplace issues including sexism and discrimination. Gjovik earlier today received an email from Apple's employee relations team saying that an investigation into a "sensitive intellectual property matter" was underway. The representative recommended that they speak within the hour, but Gjovik requested adherence to past stipulations that all communications be conducted in writing as the correspondence would be included in an active National Labor Relations Board complaint, according to emails viewed by AppleInsider.... Read more here. |
AuthorUpdates about whistleblower Ashley Gjovik & her advocacy campaign for workers Archives
October 2023
Categories |