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U.S. Labor Department Opens Investigation Into Apple
The United States Labor Department has launched a whistleblower retaliation investigation, according to a report from Financial Times. The U.S....
www.macrumors.com
The U.S. Labor Department did not provide details on the investigation, but Financial Times says that former Apple employee Ashley Gjovik received a December 10 letter from the Labor Department that confirmed the inquiry. Gjovik was fired from Apple in September for allegedly leaking confidential information.
Gjovik, who has been vocal on Twitter, complained about ongoing harassment and unsafe working conditions at Apple, and she believes that she was fired under a false pretext.
Apple told Financial Times that it is "deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace." The company said that it takes "all concerns seriously" and investigates thoroughly when a complaint is raised.
Original source with a LOT more info, paywall: https://www.ft.com/content/973aae8d-21d9-4e84-8912-ead071c7935d
Stephen Kohn, an employment lawyer and an expert in US whistleblowing law, said the burden of proof needed for the agency to open an investigation was high, as the employee must have already established enough evidence that, unless rebutted, would prove the case. He said the case would be closely watched because it was especially rare for a labour dispute with Big Tech “to break into the public” domain. The labour department rarely investigated such cases, he added, because of the widespread use of non-disclosure agreements to “silence and intimidate whistleblowers”.