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Apple has agreed to a wide-reaching settlement with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) following allegations from a former employee that its internal policies violated federal labor rights.
The deal requires the company to revise workplace rules that previously limited workers’ ability to discuss employment conditions and engage in protected activity.
The complaint was originally filed in 2021 by Ashley Gjøvik, a former senior engineering program manager at Apple. Her case alleged she was dismissed after participating in activities protected under the National Labor Relations Act, including raising concerns about return-to-office policies, engaging with the media, and posting internal criticisms on Slack and social media.
Under the terms of the NLRB agreement, Apple now acknowledges that its employee confidentiality agreements cannot prohibit discussions about wages, hours, or working conditions. The company also clarified that staff are free to share personal contact information with colleagues, speak to the press, and participate in union organising or other forms of concerted activity.
Industry impact of the Apple NLRB settlement
Labor lawyers say the settlement could have broader implications beyond Apple’s workforce, particularly in US states with weaker labor protections than California.
According to Wendy Musell, a partner at legal firm Levy Vinick Burrell Hyams, the agreement serves as an important market signal that employee rights under federal law must be respected, regardless of a company’s internal policy framework.
“Having an employer like Apple enter into a settlement agreement where they have to acknowledge these are rights that workers currently have under federal law is extremely important,” said Musell. “It ensures changes across the sector, especially in states like Texas.”
While many of the rights affirmed in the settlement already apply to workers in California, Musell noted the outcome could bolster future legal challenges elsewhere. The public nature of the agreement may also serve as critical evidence in any future proceedings where similar allegations arise.
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Whistleblower says more protections are still needed
Gjøvik welcomed the NLRB’s decision but expressed concern over areas the agreement did not address. In a memorandum accompanying the settlement, she criticised the lack of remedies for what she described as coercive practices still unexamined, including surveillance, email monitoring, and retaliatory threats.
“This federal enforcement action revealed how deeply Apple’s power depended on silencing its workers — and how fragile that power truly is,” she said.
The case represents Apple’s first public labor settlement of this kind and highlights growing tension between employee rights and corporate confidentiality in the tech sector. Apple did not issue a comment in response to the settlement.
