Apple accused of illegally restricting employee Slack and social media use

A photo of the Apple logo
(Image credit: WeDesing via Shutterstock)

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has accused Apple of illegally firing an employee who used Slack, which the company uses internally, for pushing workplace reforms.

In the complaint, which was spotted by Reuters , the Cupertino giant also allegedly forced a worker to delete a social media post.

The case dates back to 2021, when #AppleToo co-organizer Janneke Parrish complained about being fired for sharing what Apple deemed confidential information.

Apple accused of wrongly firing workers

Parish believes that the real reason Apple had fired her was a result of her activism, which included advocating for permanent remote work, distributing a pay equity survey and highlighting incidents of racial and gender discrimination within the company.

The NLRB’s complaint highlights Apple’s policies that prevent employees from creating Slack channels without a manager’s approval.

However Parrish’s lawyer, Laurie Burgess, asserts that Apple extensively violated workers’ rights, noting, “We look forward to holding Apple accountable at trial for implementing facially unlawful rules and terminating employees for engaging in the core protected activity of calling out gender discrimination and other civil rights violations that permeated the workplace.”

If the iPhone maker does not settle with the NLRB, an initial hearing is scheduled for February 2025. Parrish is seeking financial losses stemming from her termination and for the company to change its policies.

“We are and have always been deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace," Apple said in a comment

"We take all concerns seriously and we thoroughly investigate whenever a concern is raised and, out of respect for the privacy of any individuals involved, we do not discuss specific employee matters… We strongly disagree with these claims and will continue to share the facts at the hearing.”

More from TechRadar Pro

TOPICS
Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

Read more
This photograph shows wordmark of Siri, a digital assistant developed by Apple Inc., displayed on a smartphone
Did Siri break the law? Apple's latest privacy complaint in France doesn't bode well
In this photo illustration, the Meta Platforms, Inc. logo is displayed on a smartphone screen.
Meta says it has fired several employees for leaking internal data
Apple Intelligence Bella Ramsey ad
The Bella Ramsey Apple Intelligence ad that disappeared, and why Apple is now facing a false advertising lawsuit
Law
Apple to pay $95 million after Siri “unintentionally” recorded private convos
Tim Cook
The EU wants Apple to open iOS to competitors and this is the mother of all bad ideas
Slack
Slack is back and running smoothly, so get back to work everyone!
Latest in Pro
Protection from AI hacker attacks
Maintaining SAP’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability triad
A trough sensor at Overbury farm
“It's wildlife working for you” - how Agri-Tech can help revolutionize British farming as we know it
Epson EcoTank ET-4850 next to a TechRadar badge that reads Big Savings
I found the best printer deal you won't see in the Amazon Spring Sale and it's got a massive $150 saving
NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition
Nvidia's most expensive Blackwell card gets massive price cut but it is not the RTX 5090
Microsoft Copiot Studio deep reasoning and agent flows
Microsoft reveals OpenAI-powered Copilot AI agents to bosot your work research and data analysis
Group of people meeting
Inflexible work policies are pushing tech workers to quit
Latest in News
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Rennovations
Disney’s giving a classic Buzz Lightyear ride a tech overhaul – here's everything you need to know
Hisense U8 series TV on wall in living room
Hisense announces 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, with screen sizes up to 100 inches – and a surprising smart TV switch
Nintendo Music teaser art
Nintendo Music expands its library with songs from Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Tetris
Opera AI Tabs
Opera's new AI feature brings order to your browser tab chaos
An image of Pro-Ject's Flatten it closed and opened
Pro-Ject’s new vinyl flattener will fix any warped LPs you inadvertently buy on Record Store Day
The iPhone 16 Pro on a grey background
iPhone 17 Pro tipped to get 8K video recording – but I want these 3 video features instead