Apple’s Alleged Restriction on Workers’ Slack Use Sparks Labour Complaint

Apple has restricted staff’ use of office messaging app Slack, hampering employees’ means to have interaction in protected speech and organising, a former worker alleged in a grievance to a US labour regulator filed on Tuesday.

Slack, which permits people to create on-the-fly group conversations, was rolled out just a few years in the past by Apple and has change into more and more standard as a dialogue discussion board in the course of the pandemic, a number of staff have stated.

Apple staff who advocate for pay fairness, distant work and different causes within the firm have used it as properly. On October 25, in keeping with the grievance by former employee Janneke Parrish to the US National Labor Relations Board, Apple launched moderation guidelines for the platform.

“It gives the appearance of surveillance of employees’ protected speech activities,” stated the grievance, a replica of which was reviewed by Reuters.

An Apple spokesperson declined to remark. The firm has beforehand stated it doesn’t focus on particular worker issues however is “deeply committed to creating and maintaining a positive and inclusive workplace,” taking “all concerns” from staff critically.

Apple’s coverage holds that employees can’t create new Slack channels “without management’s knowledge and support,” in keeping with the grievance, which features a screenshot of a message detailing the coverage.

Posts about office issues should be directed to a supervisor or the “People Support” group, in keeping with the grievance.

Parrish says she was fired in October after taking part in a number one function in worker activism.

The cost comes amid a broader push by Silicon Valley employees to talk out about their working circumstances and the impression of expertise on society. The worker activism has been notably hanging at Apple, which is thought for its secretive tradition.

© Thomson Reuters 2021