Following months of controversy surrounding internal issues like pay inequity and workplace misconduct, Apple this week informed employees that they have a right to discuss wages and pay-related complaints externally via a distributed memo. The memo, published on the company’s internal site, was accessible to all 80,000 salaried and hourly United States employees.
Apple says workers have the right to discuss pay, hours, and working conditions
As reported by NBC News, the memo marks a massive shift for the famously secretive tech company that has quietly shut down employees who have spoken out against its culture of secrecy and privacy. According to the memo, Apple’s policies do not resist employees from talking about their pay, hours, or working condition. In addition, the memo encourages works to talk about them to their respective managers.
“Our policies do not restrict employees from speaking freely about their wages, hours, or working conditions,” the memo reads, according to the report. “We encourage any employee with concerns to raise them in the way they feel most comfortable, internally or externally, including through their manager, any Apple manager, People Support, People Business Partner, or Business Conduct.”
Since the #AppleToo movement began in August, eight unfair labor charges have been filed against Apple, although one has since been dismissed, NBC News reported. While the memo is being hailed as a win for employees, it is unclear what its impact will be on the company’s staff.
Apple employees have been pushing for more transparency on workplace issues like allegations of sexism and a wage gap between men and women. Apple shut those attempts down by closing an internal Slack channel dedicated to discussing its hybrid remote work policy, pay equity, discrimination, and other concerns saying they violate its policy.
In September SVP of Retail and People, Deirdre O’Brien issued a memo urging employees to reach out to managers or human resources about workplace concerns. She assured workers that the company’s investigation process is confidential, dignified, and respectful. O’Brien also addressed pay inequity concerns. And without mentioning the organized group, she said that “few employees have asked questions about pay equity” a cause to which the company is “deeply committed”. She added that data from the United States reveals that the company has already “achieved pay equity”.
Several days ago, it was reported that Apple engineer and organizer of the #AppleToo movement, Cher Scarlett has settled the matter with the company. Under the settlement, she will leave the company and withdraw her complaint filed with the U.S. National Labor Relations Bureau (NLRB).
