Apple accused of forcing employees to sign illegal contracts

A U.S. labor board believes that Apple has violated employees' right to organize and forced them to adhere to overly strict standards and contracts.

On Monday, the National Labor Relations Board launched a complaint against Apple, claiming that it required its employees to sign illegal confidentiality, non-compete, and non-disclosure agreements. The complaint also alleges that Apple over-enforced social media and misconduct policies on its employees.

The statement, seen by Reuters, accuses Apple of "interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees in the exercise of" their rights under federal labor law.

It appears that Apple has no plans on settling the case, and instead intends to "share the facts at the hearing," an Apple spokesperson told Reuters. An administrative judge will hear the case in January.

The NLRB wants Apple to repeal its unlawful rules. It also believes the Cupertino-based company should be required to notify its workforce of their legal rights.

The accusations stem from a September 2021 case against Apple, in which Ashley Gjovik, a former senior engineering program manager was potentially fired as a retaliation for her attempts to discuss work-related issues, such as harassment, bullying, and sexism.

In May, the NLRB found that Apple conducted unauthorized interrogations of employees at the Apple World Trade Center retail store in New York City. Apple chose to appeal the ruling.