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'{{Short description|2021 employee unrest movement at Apple Inc.}} {{Correct title|title=#AppleToo|reason=#}} {{Feminism sidebar}} '''#AppleToo''' was a movement at [[Apple Inc.]] that started in August 2021 during a period of employee unrest centered primarily on the maltreatment of women at the company. Since the early 1990s, Apple has been criticized over a lack of women in leadership. In 2016, employees made anonymous allegations of [[sexual harassment]] and [[sexual assault]], [[discrimination]], and mismanagement of concerns by [[human resources]] at Apple. In 2021 and 2022, women at the company began speaking [[Source (journalism)|on the record]] to the press and on social media. After an employee-run wage survey found a 6-percent [[Gender pay gap|gender-based wage gap]], employees began sharing personal stories under the hashtag #AppleToo, inspired by the [[MeToo movement|#MeToo movement]], which in turn spawned other corporate movements, such as #GeToo at [[General Electric]]. Several legal actions were taken due to Apple's response to the employee activism. On June 13, 2024, a lawsuit seeking [[Class action|class status]] was filed in [[California]]. In September and October 2024, the [[National Labor Relations Board]] filed charges against Apple for unlawful rules and for illegally firing [[Janneke Parrish]], a co-leader of #AppleToo. == History == In early 2016, a pay study at Apple found gender-based and racial-based wage gaps.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Benner |first=Katie |date=2016-02-26 |title=Apple Shareholders Show Their Support for Tim Cook |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/technology/apple-shareholders-show-their-support-for-tim-cook.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214222/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/technology/apple-shareholders-show-their-support-for-tim-cook.html |url-status=live }}</ref> That August, Apple said they achieved equal pay for all US-based employees. At the same time, reports showed that Apple was over-represented by white men, especially in technical and leadership positions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Massie |first=Victoria M. |date=2016-08-07 |title=Apple's diversity report is better than that of most tech companies — with one exception |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/8/7/12386404/apple-tech-diversity-report |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Vox |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240613235805/https://www.vox.com/2016/8/7/12386404/apple-tech-diversity-report |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mundy |first=Liza |date=2017-03-14 |title=Why Is Silicon Valley So Awful to Women? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/why-is-silicon-valley-so-awful-to-women/517788/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=The Atlantic |language=en |issn=2151-9463 |archive-date=2021-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126122251/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/why-is-silicon-valley-so-awful-to-women/517788/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A month later, [[Mic (media company)|''Mic'']] published emails from two anonymous women that the publication said revealed a toxic work environment for women involving [[sexual harassment]], rape jokes, and discrimination.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ehrenkranz |first=Melanie |date=September 14, 2016 |title=Leaked Apple emails reveal employees' complaints about sexist, toxic work environment |url=https://www.mic.com/articles/154169/leaked-apple-emails-reveal-employees-complaints-about-sexist-toxic-work-environment |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Mic |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214148/https://www.mic.com/articles/154169/leaked-apple-emails-reveal-employees-complaints-about-sexist-toxic-work-environment |url-status=live }}</ref> Other anonymous employees spoke out with similar concerns, alleging that the [[human resources]] (HR) department was corrupt and had a practice of retaliating against employees who make reports of misconduct.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ehrenkranz |first=Melanie |date=September 21, 2016 |title=Apple employees say their mental health issues came from alleged hostile work environment |url=https://www.mic.com/articles/154788/apple-employees-say-their-mental-health-issues-came-from-alleged-hostile-work-environment |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Mic |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214117/https://www.mic.com/articles/154788/apple-employees-say-their-mental-health-issues-came-from-alleged-hostile-work-environment |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2021, women at Apple began speaking out against the company on the record for the first time through the press and on the social media site [[Twitter]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Schiffer |first=Zoë |date=2021-09-30 |title=Apple's fortress of secrecy is crumbling from the inside |url=https://www.theverge.com/22700898/apple-company-culture-change-secrecy-employee-unrest |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2021-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930190718/https://www.theverge.com/22700898/apple-company-culture-change-secrecy-employee-unrest |url-status=live }}</ref> After the hiring of [[Antonio García Martínez (author)|Antonio García Martínez]], the author of ''[[Chaos Monkeys]]'' (2016), thousands of employees questioned his hiring in an [[open letter]] to [[Eddy Cue]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lopatto |first=Elizabeth |date=2021-05-12 |title=Apple employees circulate petition demanding investigation into "misogynistic" new hire |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/12/22432909/apple-petition-hiring-antonio-garcia-martinez-chaos-monkeys-facebook |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214114/https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/12/22432909/apple-petition-hiring-antonio-garcia-martinez-chaos-monkeys-facebook |url-status=live }}</ref> In the book, García Martínez wrote that women in the [[San Francisco]] bay area were "soft and weak" and "useless baggage you'd trade for a box of shotgun shells or a [[Jerrycan|jerry can]] of diesel."<ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Shea |first=Lizzie |date=July 7, 2017 |title=Tech has become another way for men to oppress women |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/07/technology-sexist-society-even-worse-women-potential |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214121/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/07/technology-sexist-society-even-worse-women-potential |url-status=live }}</ref> The letter was leaked to ''[[The Verge]]'', and resulted in the departure of García Martínez shortly afterward.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghaffary |first=Shirin |date=2021-05-14 |title=How angry Apple employees' petition led to a controversial new hire's departure |url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/5/13/22435266/apple-employees-petition-controversial-antonio-garcia-martinez-new-hire-departure |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Vox |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514002603/https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/5/13/22435266/apple-employees-petition-controversial-antonio-garcia-martinez-new-hire-departure |url-status=live }}</ref> Other open letters followed including asking leadership for public support of [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] during the [[2021 Israel–Palestine crisis]], long-term [[remote work]] during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and public denouncing of [[Abortion law|anti-abortion laws]] amidst [[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Harrington |first=Caitlin |title=Why Big Tech Companies Have Been Quiet on Texas' Abortion Law |url=https://www.wired.com/story/why-big-tech-quiet-texas-abortion-law/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=2023-09-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913210451/https://www.wired.com/story/why-big-tech-quiet-texas-abortion-law/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In August 2021, one of the authors of the open letter about García Martínez, security engineer [[Cher Scarlett]], started a [[Compensation transparency|wage transparency]] survey after other employees were told such surveys were prohibited, which labor lawyers said was illegal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schiffer |first=Zoë |date=2021-08-09 |title=Apple keeps shutting down employee-run surveys on pay equity — and labor lawyers say it's illegal |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/9/22609687/apple-pay-equity-employee-surveys-protected-activity |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214116/https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/9/22609687/apple-pay-equity-employee-surveys-protected-activity |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Albergotti |first=Reed |date=2021-11-10 |title=She pulled herself from addiction by learning to code. Now she's leading a worker uprising at Apple. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/14/apple-worker-cher-scarlett/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=2021-10-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211014132551/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/14/apple-worker-cher-scarlett/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Analysis of the preliminary results showed a 6% wage disparity between men and women. The survey also showed that white men had an outsized share of leadership and technical roles. She tweeted charts shared by ''The Verge'' she said were "alarming" that showed Apple's own demographic statistics were misleading; hiding that racial demographics among women were more balanced than men, and that [[Person of color|women of color]] were most likely to be working in non-leadership roles in support, marketing, and retail.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Schiffer |first1=Zoë |last2=Clark |first2=Mitchell |date=2021-08-23 |title=Exclusive: Apple says it has pay equity, but an informal employee survey suggests otherwise |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/23/22633141/apple-pay-equity-survey-results-wage-gap |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2021-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823163922/https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/23/22633141/apple-pay-equity-survey-results-wage-gap |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Silberling |first=Amanda |date=2023-05-18 |title=Apple retail still has a diversity problem, union says |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/18/apple-still-has-a-diversity-problem/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215133/https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/18/apple-still-has-a-diversity-problem/ |archive-date=2024-06-24 |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref> As a result of this, Scarlett was harassed, doxed, and stated that co-workers told her that their managers told them not to engage with her.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |last=Mak |first=Aaron |date=November 23, 2021 |title=In the Summer, Three Workplace Activists Were Making Waves at Apple. All Three Are Now Gone. |url=https://slate.com/technology/2021/11/apple-workplace-activism-cher-scarlett.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123203851/https://slate.com/technology/2021/11/apple-workplace-activism-cher-scarlett.html |archive-date=November 23, 2021 |access-date=November 23, 2021 |website=[[Slate Magazine]] |language=en}}</ref> === Lack of women in leadership === In September 1991, ''[[Macworld]]'' reported employee criticism of Apple's failure to promote women as often as men on a tool called [[AppleLink]]. At the time, the company only had four women in department leadership roles, of which there are about 100.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Fenton |first=Erfert |date=September 1991 |title=Inside Apple |access-date= |magazine=MacWorld |pages=180–181 |issue=9109}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gurman |first=Mark |date=October 15, 2023 |title=Apple Renews Top Ranks With Wave of Executive Promotions |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-10-15/apple-october-2023-executive-promotions-new-vps-of-retail-software-operations-lnrh4t94 |access-date=June 16, 2024 |work=Bloomberg |archive-date=June 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214121/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-10-15/apple-october-2023-executive-promotions-new-vps-of-retail-software-operations-lnrh4t94 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2014, a developer found only two women in 16 hours of WWDC footage since 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bereznak |first=Alyssa |date=2015-06-08 |title=Apple Finally Put Women Employees Onstage! But Don't Celebrate Just Yet |url=https://www.yahoo.com/tech/apple-finally-put-women-employees-on-stage-but-121054247359.html |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Yahoo Tech |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214756/https://www.yahoo.com/tech/apple-finally-put-women-employees-on-stage-but-121054247359.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The following year, [[Quartz (publication)|''Quartz'']] reported only one woman took the stage at any Apple event between 2013 and 2015, including Apple's annual [[Worldwide Developers Conference]] (WWDC) keynote,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frommer |first=Dan |date=2015-06-08 |title=All the women on stage at Apple keynotes, charted |url=https://qz.com/422340/all-the-women-on-stage-at-apple-keynotes-charted |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Quartz |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616175718/https://qz.com/422340/all-the-women-on-stage-at-apple-keynotes-charted |url-status=live }}</ref> which prompted questions about the lack of gender diversity at Apple.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Lecher |first=Colin |date=2017-09-12 |title=As gender diversity battles roil Silicon Valley, Apple puts just one woman onstage |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/12/16297342/apple-keynote-2017-diversity-sexism |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616175717/https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/12/16297342/apple-keynote-2017-diversity-sexism |url-status=live }}</ref> ''MIC'' reported in 2017 women accounted for only 7% of stage time at the WWDC keynote, nine minutes out of two hours.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ehrenkranz |first=Melanie |date=2017-06-06 |title=Women got just 7% of the speaking time at Apple's WWDC 2017 keynote |url=https://www.mic.com/articles/179035/women-had-7-of-the-speaking-time-at-apples-wwdc-2017-this-year |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Mic |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616175718/https://www.mic.com/articles/179035/women-had-7-of-the-speaking-time-at-apples-wwdc-2017-this-year |url-status=live }}</ref> Apple shareholders demanded Apple add more women and minorities to leadership and [[Vox Media|''Vox'']] reported only 29% of all leadership were women.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Molla |first=Rani |date=2017-11-09 |title=Apple is hiring more diverse workers, but its total shares of women and minorities aren't budging much |url=https://www.vox.com/2017/11/9/16628286/apple-2017-diversity-report-black-asian-white-latino-women-minority |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Vox |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616175709/https://www.vox.com/2017/11/9/16628286/apple-2017-diversity-report-black-asian-white-latino-women-minority |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=2017-02-15 |title=Apple shareholders are demanding more diversity, but the company is fighting back |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/15/14614740/apple-shareholder-diversity-proposal-opposition |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214616/https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/15/14614740/apple-shareholder-diversity-proposal-opposition |url-status=live }}</ref> The following September, at the [[iPhone X]] announcement, only one woman took the stage to account for six minutes of the two-hour event.<ref name=":8" /> In 2020, the virtual WWDC keynote included rank-and-file employees, which included 11 women and 8 men.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guglielmo |first=Connie |date=June 23, 2020 |title=Apple's WWDC keynote was like no other. Why that's a good thing |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apples-wwdc-keynote-was-like-no-other-heres-why-virtual-conference-is-a-good-thing/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=CNET |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214617/https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apples-wwdc-keynote-was-like-no-other-heres-why-virtual-conference-is-a-good-thing/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[International Women's Day]] in 2022, a video Apple event promoting [[Apple M1]] featured women developers at the company was criticized by current and former employees. They said it misrepresented the company's gender diversity and response to sexism. Scarlett tweeted that the 2021 wage survey found that less than 10% of Apple's female workforce were in technical roles in software or hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kraus |first=Rachel |date=2022-03-08 |title=Apple called out for hypocrisy while 'celebrating women' at peek performance event |url=https://mashable.com/article/apple-event-2022-international-womens-day-hypocrisy |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Mashable |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214802/https://mashable.com/article/apple-event-2022-international-womens-day-hypocrisy |url-status=live }}</ref> Lauren Goode, a female tech reporter, said in a [[Wired (magazine)|''Wired'']] podcast that the change to a virtual event hid the lack of diversity at WWDC. Commenting on the reality behind a joke about there being no lines at the women's restrooms in tech she said, "There's very rarely a line for the women's restroom because there are so few women at this conference."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Chokkattu |first1=Julian |last2=Goode |first2=Lauren |last3=Calore |first3=Michael |date=June 26, 2020 |title=Apple's Virtual WWDC Wasn't Better Than the Real Thing |url=https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-461/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214645/https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-461/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2022, ''[[Computerworld]]'' reported just two of Apple's 12 most senior executives were women.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Jonny |date=September 27, 2022 |title=Apple CEO Tim Cook wants more women in tech |url=https://www.computerworld.com/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Computerworld |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510203914/https://www.computerworld.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Two months later, CEO [[Tim Cook]] told the ''[[BBC]]'' there were not enough women in tech, including at Apple, and there was "no good excuse" for it.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kleinman |first=Zoe |date=2022-09-26 |title=Tim Cook: 'No good excuse' for lack of women in tech |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63033078 |access-date=2024-06-16 |work=BBC |language=en-GB |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214754/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-63033078 |url-status=live }}</ref> == #AppleToo event == [[File:Cher Scarlett Headshot 2021.jpg|right|thumb|Cher Scarlett in 2021]] <nowiki>#</nowiki>AppleToo is a reference to the [[MeToo movement|#MeToo]] movement and the sharing of personal stories — in the case of Apple, about alleged sexual harassment and assault, gender and racial discrimination, verbal abuse, retaliation, [[ableism]], and the mishandling of complaints by HR and management.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Broussard |first=Meredith |title=More than a glitch: confronting race, gender, and ability bias in tech |date=2023 |publisher=The MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-37306-7 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Kramer |first=Anna |date=August 28, 2021 |title=How one woman helped build the #AppleToo movement at tech's most secretive company |url=https://www.protocol.com/workplace/apple-too-worker-movement |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828195237/https://www.protocol.com/workplace/apple-too-worker-movement |archive-date=2021-08-28 |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=[[Protocol (website)|Protocol]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Anguiano |first=Dani |date=2021-09-03 |title=#AppleToo: employees organize and allege harassment and discrimination |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/03/appletoo-apple-employees-organize-allege-harassment-discrimination |access-date=2024-06-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214704/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/03/appletoo-apple-employees-organize-allege-harassment-discrimination |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last1=Nicas |first1=Jack |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen |date=September 17, 2021 |title=Tim Cook Faces Surprising Employee Unrest at Apple |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/17/technology/apple-employee-unrest.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929173218/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/17/technology/apple-employee-unrest.html |archive-date=2021-09-29 |access-date=2021-09-30 |website=[[The New York Times]] |language=en}}</ref> In August 2021, after encouraging other women on Twitter to come forward about a [[California Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. Activision Blizzard|culture of sexual harassment and abuse]] at her former employer, [[Activision Blizzard]], Cher Scarlett organized a similar movement at Apple.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":38">{{Cite web |last=Rubin |first=Courtney |date=9 February 2022 |title=Activision Blizzard was their dream job. The workplace was a nightmare |url=https://fortune.com/2022/02/09/activision-blizzard-microsoft-women-discrimination/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210192039/https://fortune.com/2022/02/09/activision-blizzard-microsoft-women-discrimination/ |archive-date=February 10, 2022 |access-date=2022-02-10 |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |language=en}}</ref> When employees came to her looking for support, Scarlett and other anonymous Apple employees launched a website called #AppleToo on August 23, 2021, with a tag line "It's time to [[Think different|Think Different]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schiffer |first=Zoe |date=August 23, 2021 |title=Apple employees are organizing, now under the banner #AppleToo |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/23/22638150/apple-appletoo-employee-harassment-discord |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828052718/https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/23/22638150/apple-appletoo-employee-harassment-discord |archive-date=2021-08-28 |access-date=2021-08-28 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Program manager [[Janneke Parrish]] joined as a co-leader and published some of the personal stories of past and current Apple workers including contractors.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Love |first=Julia |date=October 15, 2021 |title=Apple worker says she was fired after leading movement against harassment |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-worker-says-she-was-fired-after-leading-movement-against-harassment-2021-10-15/ |access-date=June 16, 2024 |work=Reuters}}</ref><ref name=":9" /><ref name=":21" /> According to Scarlett, by the end of August they had received nearly 500 reports from workers,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kramer |first=Anna |date=August 28, 2021 |title=How one woman helped build the #AppleToo movement at tech's most secretive company |url=https://www.protocol.com/workplace/apple-too-worker-movement |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828195237/https://www.protocol.com/workplace/apple-too-worker-movement |archive-date=2021-08-28 |access-date=2021-10-08 |website=[[Protocol (website)|Protocol]] |language=en}}</ref> with more than 300 shared the first 48 hours.<ref name=":42">{{Cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Isobel Asher |title=Another fired Apple employee has filed a complaint to the NLRB, saying the company retaliated after she tried to highlight problems of discrimination and harassment, reports say |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-fired-activist-apple-employee-janneke-parrish-nlrb-complaint-2021-11 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215122/https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-fired-activist-apple-employee-janneke-parrish-nlrb-complaint-2021-11 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the first few days, Scarlett reported that nearly half of the stories involved sexism and HR's mishandling of the reports, including retaliation.<ref name=":4" /> In an analysis done by Parrish, 40% of the stories involved discrimination based on gender.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Alaimo |first=Kara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjfEEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Janneke+Parrish%22&pg=PT86 |title=Over the Influence: Why Social Media is Toxic for Women and Girls - And How We Can Take it Back |date=2024-03-05 |publisher=Crooked Lane Books |isbn=978-1-63910-669-1 |language=en}}</ref> On September 3, 2021, the group published an open letter to Cook and the rest of the executive team, calling for signatures from fellow workers. The letter made five requests including increased privacy of personal information; transparent and fair compensation; an audit of all third-party relationships; increased accountability across leadership and human resource teams; and a process for sharing group concerns.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mihalcik |first=Carrie |date=September 3, 2021 |title=Apple letter from workers to Tim Cook seeks action on privacy, inclusion |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-employees-demand-change-in-open-letter-to-tim-cook/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121032659/https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-employees-demand-change-in-open-letter-to-tim-cook/ |archive-date=21 November 2021 |access-date=21 November 2021 |work=[[CNET]]}}</ref> On September 17, 2021, a recording from a company-wide meeting was leaked to the press. Parrish was investigated for the leak and instructed not to delete anything from Apple's property. She was fired after she removed personal applications and work-related files from her company phone and computer. Her personal devices were not confiscated.<ref>{{cite news |last=Anguiano |first=Dani |date=October 15, 2021 |title=Apple fires employee Janneke Parrish, leader of #AppleToo movement |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/15/apple-janneke-parrish-fired-appletoo |access-date=December 30, 2022 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=June 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215254/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/15/apple-janneke-parrish-fired-appletoo |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Browning |first=Kellen |date=2021-10-15 |title=Leader of Apple activism movement says she was fired. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/technology/appletoo-apple-janneke-parrish.html |access-date=2024-06-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2021-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123212314/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/technology/appletoo-apple-janneke-parrish.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":52">{{Cite news |last=Albergotti |first=Reed |date=2021-11-03 |title=Employee fired by Apple files NLRB charge alleging retaliation by iPhone maker |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/02/janneke-parrish-nlrb-charge/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=2021-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120091437/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/11/02/janneke-parrish-nlrb-charge/ |url-status=live }}</ref> She said she was fired in retaliation for her role in #AppleToo.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Albergotti |first=Reed |date=2021-10-15 |title=Apple fires employee who raised awareness of workplace misconduct allegations at the company |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/15/apple-fires-janneke-parrish-appletoo/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=2024-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417041758/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/10/15/apple-fires-janneke-parrish-appletoo/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The details in the press from the meeting were related to the allegations made by #AppleToo participants, pay equity, vaccination rules, and restrictive abortion rules concerning the impending [[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization|overturning of Roe v. Wade]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Cameron |date=2021-10-16 |title=Apple employee says she was fired for speaking out about workplace conditions |url=https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/577040-apple-employee-says-she-was-fired-for-speaking-out/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=The Hill |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615085615/https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/577040-apple-employee-says-she-was-fired-for-speaking-out/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":21" /> ''Wired'' criticized the company's response to the questions about abortions, saying Apple feigned support for women employees seeking to escape states where abortion was illegal with a "cop-out."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Harrington |first=Caitlin |title=Apple Won't Let Staff Work Remotely to Escape Texas Abortion Limits |url=https://www.wired.com/story/apple-wont-let-staff-work-remotely-to-escape-texas-abortion-limits/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028 |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215124/https://www.wired.com/story/apple-wont-let-staff-work-remotely-to-escape-texas-abortion-limits/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In response to the leak, Cook sent a company-wide memo that people who leak details of confidential meetings "do not belong at Apple."<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Mickle |first=Tripp |date=2023-01-31 |title=Regulators Find Apple's Secrecy Violates Workers' Rights |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/technology/apple-workers-rights.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624214038/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/technology/apple-workers-rights.html |archive-date=2024-06-24 |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> More than a dozen additional women went to the press, including program manager [[Ashley Gjøvik]], both on the record and anonymously, about alleged gender pay gaps, discrimination, and the mishandling of sexual harassment and assault at Apple. Several reported a practice of being asked to resign in exchange for severance and signing [[Non-disclosure agreement|non-disclosure agreements]] (NDAs).<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGee |first=Patrick |date=August 4, 2022 |title=The women calling out Apple's handling of misconduct claims |url=https://www.ft.com/content/96160847-af3f-44b6-8129-1e39a73a28d3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215321/https://www.ft.com/content/96160847-af3f-44b6-8129-1e39a73a28d3 |archive-date=2024-06-24 |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Financial Times}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> <nowiki>#</nowiki>AppleToo spawned similar corporate-based #MeToo movements, such as #GeToo, which refers to [[General Electric]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Swisher |first=Kara |date=February 10, 2022 |title=The Pandemic Culls the Big Tech Herd |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/10/opinion/pandemic-meta-microsoft.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211001110/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/10/opinion/pandemic-meta-microsoft.html |archive-date=February 11, 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> == Legal actions == === Federal labor complaints === In late 2021, Cher Scarlett filed three charges with the [[National Labor Relations Board]] (NLRB) against Apple for stifling employees from collecting wage data and discussing their salaries, for fostering a culture of harassment and abuse with unlawful rules, and for the memo sent by Cook to staff.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":15">{{Cite news |last=McGee |first=Patrick |date=January 30, 2023 |title=Apple violated work rules, according to US labour watchdog |url=https://www.ft.com/content/f085e07f-4615-41c2-922e-054e889ade1f |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617010957/https://www.ft.com/content/f085e07f-4615-41c2-922e-054e889ade1f?accessToken=zwAAAZAjvtCNkdPwheB_RhVBwtOSLgVOiJreHw.MEQCIA-kT2m7uKe44yHmAeODZBUR9U34oV6I4YM5CEoXHUxDAiAvn3G4XiOO8TWa0cv1Fg1S7-VDeye45c6CSqARVzFzEw&segmentId=e95a9ae7-622c-6235-5f87-51e412b47e97&shareType=enterprise&shareId=c99a070f-c081-4652-8a3c-d9e382fda7b5 |archive-date=June 17, 2024 |access-date=June 17, 2024 |work=The Financial Times}}</ref> Ashley Gjøvik filed two NLRB charges, one about the memo and another that challenged several policies in the employee handbook that she said illegally inhibit staff from exercising their federally-protected rights to talk to the press, discuss wages, and post on social media in a second charge.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eidelson |first=Josh |date=October 12, 2021 |title=Apple CEO's Anti-Leak Edict Broke Law, Ex-Employee Alleges |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-12/apple-ceo-s-anti-leak-edict-broke-the-law-ex-employee-alleges |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211013081511/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-12/apple-ceo-s-anti-leak-edict-broke-the-law-ex-employee-alleges |archive-date=October 13, 2021 |access-date=December 30, 2021 |website=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]]}}</ref><ref name=":15" /> The memo was criticized for conflating product leaks with employee activism around workplace conditions, and for including the line, "people who leak confidential information do not belong here," which some interpreted as threatening.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schiffer |first=Zoe |date=2021-09-22 |title=Tim Cook says employees who leak memos do not belong at Apple, according to leaked memo |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/22/22687747/tim-cook-employee-leak-memos-do-not-belong-at-apple |access-date=2022-01-03 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=January 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103210327/https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/22/22687747/tim-cook-employee-leak-memos-do-not-belong-at-apple |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite web |last=Towey |first=Hannah |title=Former Apple employee alleges a Tim Cook email saying leakers 'do not belong' at the company violates worker-protection laws |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/whistleblower-apple-employee-tim-cook-iphone-leak-email-worker-rights-2021-10 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=June 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617055645/https://www.businessinsider.com/whistleblower-apple-employee-tim-cook-iphone-leak-email-worker-rights-2021-10 |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2021, Janneke Parrish filed wrongful termination charge with the NLRB in which she alleged the investigation and firing for leaking a recording of the townhall was "based upon false and [[Pretext|pretextual]] reasons" and retaliation for her work with #AppleToo.<ref name=":42" /> On November 19, 2021, Apple posted a memo affirming employees' rights to discuss pay and working conditions.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Love |first=Julia |date=November 20, 2021 |title=Apple tells workers they have right to discuss wages, working conditions |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/apple-tells-workers-they-have-right-discuss-wages-working-conditions-2021-11-20/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120225354/https://www.reuters.com/business/apple-tells-workers-they-have-right-discuss-wages-working-conditions-2021-11-20/ |archive-date=20 November 2021 |access-date=21 November 2021 |work=[[Reuters]] |language=en}}</ref> While not an official response to one of the group's requests about a company-wide statement clarifying employee rights,<ref>{{Cite web |title=#AppleToo Open Letter |url=https://appletoo.us/letter/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224035407/https://appletoo.us/letter/ |archive-date=24 December 2021 |access-date=21 November 2021 |website=appletoo.us}}</ref> Parrish referred to the memo as a victory for the group,<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Schiffer |first=Zoe |date=November 19, 2021 |title=Apple posts internal memo affirming employees' right to discuss pay |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/apple/apple-posts-internal-memo-affirming-employees-right-discuss-pay-rcna5777 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219004415/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/apple/apple-posts-internal-memo-affirming-employees-right-discuss-pay-rcna5777 |archive-date=19 December 2021 |access-date=21 November 2021 |work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> and said it would "help end a systemic culture of silence around our working culture and pay equity".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Duffy |first=Clare |date=November 21, 2021 |title=Apple affirms employees' right to speak about working conditions, in a win for #AppleToo movement |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/20/tech/apple-appletoo-workers-rights/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121033539/https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/20/tech/apple-appletoo-workers-rights/index.html |archive-date=21 November 2021 |access-date=21 November 2021 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> [[Veena Dubal]], a law professor, stated, "This is a win for workers because it shows that Apple knows they would have lost had this been adjudicated",<ref name=":5" /> referring to Scarlett's first NLRB charge and the penalty that would have been assessed by the NLRB.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Enforce Your Rights |url=https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/the-law/employees/how-to-enforce-your-rights |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121025658/https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/the-law/employees/how-to-enforce-your-rights |archive-date=21 November 2021 |access-date=21 November 2021 |website=[[National Labor Relations Board]]}}</ref> Dubal also highlighted how little the enforcement of the NLRA does to deter employers from violating these laws.<ref name=":5" /> Scarlett later tweeted that she had made four demands to Apple on September 2, 2021, the day after she filed the NLRB charge, one of which had been for the affirmation Apple had posted.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Mitchell |date=December 9, 2021 |title=Former Apple employee says she won't withdraw her labor board complaint |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22826620/apple-labor-cher-scarlett-settlement-nlrb-complaint |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en |archive-date=2021-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211214756/https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22826620/apple-labor-cher-scarlett-settlement-nlrb-complaint |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2021, ''[[Forbes]]'' reported that the NLRB had rejected the withdrawal request with the non-board settlement asking Apple to make 22 changes to the language in the document, including language suppressing Scarlett from helping other Apple employees organize and file charges against Apple for a period of one year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Au-Yeung |first=Angel |date=December 9, 2021 |title=Ex-Apple Engineer Cher Scarlett No Longer Withdrawing U.S. Labor Agency Complaint Against Apple |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelauyeung/2021/12/09/ex-apple-engineer-cher-scarlett-reinstates-us-labor-agency-complaint-against-apple/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209191621/https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelauyeung/2021/12/09/ex-apple-engineer-cher-scarlett-reinstates-us-labor-agency-complaint-against-apple/ |archive-date=9 December 2021 |access-date=11 December 2021 |work=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> She also confirmed that the memo posted in November was a part of the settlement she reached, but that Apple had only left it up for the week Apple had given the company off for [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Warwick |first=Stephen |date=September 18, 2021 |title=Tim Cook addresses pay, diversity, privacy, and more at internal meeting |url=https://www.imore.com/tim-cook-addresses-pay-diversity-privacy-and-more-internal-apple-meeting |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918095152/https://www.imore.com/tim-cook-addresses-pay-diversity-privacy-and-more-internal-apple-meeting |archive-date=2021-09-18 |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=[[iMore]]}}</ref> which she said did not uphold the agreement's requirement of the memo being published "in a prominent and visible location". In a statement to ''[[The Verge]]'', she said she would have been "interested in [withdrawing the charge without the settlement] to avoid witnesses having to give testimony", but that she and other employees decided to follow through with the charges in the face of potential retaliation because of how the company handled the posting of the memo.<ref name=":22" /> All five charges brought by Scarlett and Gjøvik were found to have merit in January 2023.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":1" /> On September 30, 2024, the NLRB charged Apple with forcing employees to sign "illegal" NDAs that "restrained" and "interfered" with their federal rights under labor laws, based on the charges brought by Scarlett and Gjøvik.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dalloo |first=Rachel |date=October 10, 2024 |title=Apple is being accused of ‘illegally’ violating workers rights by the U.S. labor board |url=https://qz.com/u-s-labor-board-accuses-apple-of-illegal-workplace-vio-1851662141 |work=Quartz Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gan |first=Jeremy |date=2024-10-01 |title=US labor board accuses Apple of violating employees’ rights |url=https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/us-labor-board-accuses-apple-of-violating-employees-rights-164643503.html |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Engadget |language=en-US}}</ref> On October 10, 2024, the NLRB charged Apple with illegally firing Parrish for her advocacy and for restricting employee social media and slack usage in violation of the [[National Labor Relations Act of 1935]] (NLRA).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiessner |first=Daniel |date=October 11, 2024 |title=US labor board accuses Apple of restricting workers' Slack, social media use |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-accused-restricting-workers-slack-social-media-use-by-us-labor-board-2024-10-11/ |website=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shapero |first=Julia |date=2024-10-14 |title=National labor board alleges Apple restricting workers' Slack, social media use |url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4932687-apple-slack-labor-relations-board-complaint-restrictions-social-media/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref> === Shareholder and securities complaints === The wage transparency survey and #AppleToo event prompted several instances of [[shareholder activism]]. A "civil-rights audit," an investigation into the use of NDAs, and a "workers' rights assessment," were proposed and approved by shareholders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawler |first=Richard |date=2022-03-04 |title=Apple shareholders approve a civil rights audit and investigation of the risks of its NDAs |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/4/22962097/apple-nda-harassment-civil-rights-shareholder-meeting-tim-cook |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2022-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305013005/https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/4/22962097/apple-nda-harassment-civil-rights-shareholder-meeting-tim-cook |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Scheiber |first=Noam |date=2023-01-17 |title=Apple Reaches Deal With Investors to Audit Its Labor Practices |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/17/business/economy/apple-labor.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215641/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/17/business/economy/apple-labor.html |url-status=live }}</ref> They were the first shareholder actions approved in ten years.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ogunnaike |first1=Jade Magnus |last2=Manely |first2=Renaye |date=March 23, 2022 |title=Commentary: Investors are telling Apple to 'think different' about civil rights |url=https://fortune.com/2022/03/23/investors-apple-think-different-civil-rights-discrimination-esg-wrokplace-corporate-culture-audits-racial-equity-ogunnaike-manely/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Fortune |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215641/https://fortune.com/2022/03/23/investors-apple-think-different-civil-rights-discrimination-esg-wrokplace-corporate-culture-audits-racial-equity-ogunnaike-manely/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Reporters at ''[[Politico]]'' said that it was "bigger than Apple" and such actions set the tone for other large companies. Investment firms said that attempts to block such shareholder actions would put brand equity at companies with progressive values at risk.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Woellert |first1=Lorraine |last2=Boudreau |first2=Catherine |last3=Greene |first3=Shayna |date=January 11, 2022 |title=#AppleToo |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game/2022/01/11/appletoo-495680 |access-date=June 18, 2024 |work=Politico |archive-date=June 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215712/https://www.politico.com/newsletters/the-long-game/2022/01/11/appletoo-495680 |url-status=live }}</ref> In response to a no-action request filed by Apple with the [[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC) which claimed that it was not Apple's practice to use NDAs in employment contracts that inhibit an employee's ability to speak about working conditions, Cher Scarlett filed a whistleblower tip with the agency and shared a severance agreement that stipulated what she was allowed to say about her departure, which was validated by ''[[Business Insider]]''. A group of treasurers then called on the SEC to investigate Apple's use of NDAs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=December 10, 2022 |title=Apple will let its employees talk about discrimination and abuse |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/10/23503083/apple-employees-discrimination-abuse-ndas |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215709/https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/10/23503083/apple-employees-discrimination-abuse-ndas |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Drange |first=Matt |date=November 22, 2021 |title=Apple agrees to "make improvements" to its NDAs after whistleblower documents showed evidence the company used the agreements to silence employees |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-sec-response-under-scrutiny-after-whistleblower-comes-forward |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> The shareholder-prompted audit found that instances existed where NDAs would infringe on an employee's right to speak on unlawful conduct and agreed to remove all concealment clauses from employment contracts retroactively.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McGee |first=Patrick |date=December 9, 2022 |title=Apple to end employee gagging clauses after activist campaign |url=https://www.ft.com/content/8cd27d16-c996-4dc7-86af-ed6f40ff361c |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=The Financial Times |archive-date=2022-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228043004/https://www.ft.com/content/8cd27d16-c996-4dc7-86af-ed6f40ff361c |url-status=live }}</ref> Laws enacted in [[California]] and [[Washington (state)|Washington]] after the #AppleToo event barred the use of NDAs in employment contracts in relation to harassment, discrimination, and other unlawful activity.<ref name=":50">{{Cite journal |last=Bloch-Wehba |first=Hannah |date=March 3, 2023 |title=The Promise and Perils of Tech Whistleblowing |url=https://ssrn.com/abstract=4377064 |journal=Northwestern University Law Review |volume=118 |issue=6 |pages=1503–62 |via=SSRN |access-date=June 13, 2024 |archive-date=June 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215822/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4377064 |url-status=live }}</ref> === 2024 gender discrimination lawsuit === On June 13, 2024, two women filed a lawsuit alleging gender pay bias and sexual harassment on behalf of 12,000 current and former women at Apple in California against the company seeking [[Class action|class status]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Egelko |first=Bob |date=June 13, 2024 |title=Female Apple employees claim gender pay bias in lawsuit seeking class status for 12,000 women |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/apple-lawsuit-women-pay-bias-19511647.php |access-date=June 13, 2024 |work=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref> The suit alleges that Apple circumvents laws prohibiting potential employers from asking about a potential employee's salary history by instead asking for salary expectations, which it states "has had a disparate impact on women," and, separately, that the performance review system is biased against women.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Graf |first=Rachel |date=2024-06-13 |title=Apple Sued by Female Employees Claiming Pay Discrimination |url=https://time.com/6988551/apple-is-sued-by-female-employees-claiming-pay-discrimination/ |access-date=2024-06-14 |magazine=TIME |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624220150/https://time.com/6988551/apple-is-sued-by-female-employees-claiming-pay-discrimination/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Marcus |first1=Josh |title=Apple employees sue saying female workers are 'systematically' paid less than men |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lawsuit-apple-pay-gender-bias-b2562461.html |access-date=14 June 2024 |work=The Independent |date=14 June 2024 |language=en |archive-date=24 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624220155/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/lawsuit-apple-pay-gender-bias-b2562461.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In its coverage, ''[[Ars Technica]]'' quoted the lawsuit as alleging, "The longer a woman works at Apple, the larger the gap in compensation she receives compared to similarly situated men."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Belanger |first=Ashley |date=2024-06-14 |title=Apple punishes women for same behaviors that get men promoted, lawsuit says |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/06/apple-deliberately-pays-women-less-than-men-lawsuit-says/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624220156/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/06/apple-deliberately-pays-women-less-than-men-lawsuit-says/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a contribution to ''[[Forbes]]'', a [[psychologist]] and professor of [[gender studies]] at the [[University of California, Los Angeles]], Kim Elsesser, attributed the link between salary expectations and history to the [[anchoring effect]], a phenomenon that causes people to value their worth on previous pay. Elsesser shared research that indicates women are impacted by additional [[Sociology|social factors]] when they negotiate for higher pay or promotions; instead of being rewarded, [[Second-generation gender bias|women are penalized and evaluated as aggressive]] or unlikable.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elsesser |first=Kim |title=Apple Pays Women Less, According To A Proposed Class Action Lawsuit |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2024/06/14/apple-pays-women-less-according-to-a-proposed-class-action-lawsuit/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624220225/https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2024/06/14/apple-pays-women-less-according-to-a-proposed-class-action-lawsuit/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bowles |first=Hannah Riley |date=2014-06-19 |title=Why Women Don't Negotiate Their Job Offers |url=https://hbr.org/2014/06/why-women-dont-negotiate-their-job-offers |access-date=2024-06-16 |work=Harvard Business Review |issn=0017-8012 |archive-date=2023-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819163040/https://hbr.org/2014/06/why-women-dont-negotiate-their-job-offers |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gutermuth |first1=Dinah |last2=Hamstra |first2=Melvyn R. W. |date=2024 |title=Promotion focus is valued in men more than in women |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.2781 |journal=Journal of Organizational Behavior |language=en |volume=45 |issue=5 |pages=764–781 |doi=10.1002/job.2781 |issn=0894-3796 |access-date=2024-06-24 |archive-date=2024-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624220159/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.2781 |url-status=live }}</ref> == Related activity == In early 2022, some corporate employees involved in #AppleToo started a [[Solidarity unionism|solidarity union]] called [[Apple Together]]. They also helped several retail stores organize into [[Trade union|unions]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Harrington |first=Caitlin |title=Apple's Corporate Workers Help the Mounting Union Effort |url=https://www.wired.com/story/apple-together-solidarity-union-organizing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215307/https://www.wired.com/story/apple-together-solidarity-union-organizing/ |archive-date=2024-06-24 |access-date=2024-06-14 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> In 2023, a report from [[Communications Workers of America]] found that the majority of Apple's diversity was found in [[Apple Store|Apple Retail]], working in low-level jobs, according to an analysis of government-mandated reports. Apple says it does not use such reports to measure its [[diversity, equity, and inclusion]] progress. A retail employee started a wage transparency survey that year which found similar results.<ref name=":7" /> Apple settled a discrimination lawsuit the following November for $25 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=2023-11-09 |title=Apple to pay up to $25 million over hiring discrimination |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/9/23954640/apple-hiring-discrimination-doj-perm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240624215840/https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/9/23954640/apple-hiring-discrimination-doj-perm |archive-date=2024-06-24 |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref> == See also == * [[Criticism of Apple Inc.]] * [[Sexism in the technology industry]] * [[Believe women]] == References == {{Reflist}}{{Weinstein effect}}{{Apple}}{{Portal bar|Feminism|Organized labor|Human sexuality }} {{Authority control}} [[Category:2021 protests]] [[Category:Apple Inc. employees]] [[Category:Apple Inc. litigation]] [[Category:Criticisms of companies]] [[Category:Discrimination]] [[Category:Labor relations by company]] [[Category:MeToo movement]] [[Category:Sexual harassment in the United States]] [[Category:Sexual misconduct allegations]] [[Category:Slogans]] [[Category:Violence against women in the United States]] [[Category:Hashtags]]'