In 2006, a social movement began against sexual abuse and harassment. The movement was initially started by sexual abuse survivor Tarana Burke on MySpace and grew popular. It became well-known as the #MeToo or Me Too movementOpens a new window . The movement again caught steam in 2017 following the sexual abuse allegations against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. Today, the social movement has become a symbol of the fight against sexual harassment and abuse.
As if taking inspiration from the social movement, a group of Apple employees has started their own movement against the company. Named the #AppleToo movement, the social movement is said to be a fight against the discrimination minority groups face in the company.
Apple workers are coming together to talk openly about issues we want addressed in our workplace.
Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation happen at #AppleTooOpens a new window .
If you work or worked for Apple, or a third party, connect with us at .
— Apple Workers #AppleToo (@AppleLaborers) August 23, 2021Opens a new window
Also read: What’s Going Wrong at Apple These Days?
#AppleToo: A Deeper Look
A group of Apple employees who claim to be fed up with the company’s secrecy, avoidance of public scrutiny of their practices, and retaliatory actions have banded together and created a website called #AppleToo. The group’s purpose is to collect stories from employees at levels who have faced discrimination and harassment. Once the stories are collected and presented, they are expected to expose a chronic pattern of sexism, racism, discrimination, suppression, intimidation, and other ill practices in the company.
The website readsOpens a new window , “For too long, Apple has evaded public scrutiny. The truth is that for many Apple workers — a reality faced disproportionately by our Black, Indigenous, and other colleagues from minoritized racial, gender, and historically marginalized groups of people — the culture of secrecy creates an opaque, intimidating fortress. When we press for accountability and redress to the persistent injustices we witness or experience in our workplace, we are faced with a pattern of isolation, degradation, and gaslighting. No more. We’ve exhausted all internal avenues. We’ve talked with our leadership. We’ve gone to the People team. We’ve escalated through Business Conduct. Nothing has changed. It’s time to Think Different.â€
The website also lists down various laws and clauses employees should be aware of. These include the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and The Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
According to The VergeOpens a new window , About 15 current and former employees were involved in creating the website and a Twitter accountOpens a new window . The group also sent out the news on a 200-person Discord server.
A Quick Background
Apple has been involved in a series of allegations over the last few months regarding workplace practices. Earlier in August, the company sent an employee, Ashley Gjøvik, on indefinite administrative leave for publicly voicing her concern over sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions. Within a week, Apple again landed in trouble when it shut down two surveys that wanted to verify its claim of pay equity. Cher Scarlette, who is now a co-organizer of the #AppleToo movement, had to start a third survey and pay for it from her own pocket. The results of a study, shared with GizmodoOpens a new window , also showed pay discrepancies by race and gender.
Many women have expressed their dissatisfaction with the work culture at the company earlier as well.
Also read: Apple Sends Female Employee on Administrative Leave After Tweets on Sexism at Workplace
Movement Gathers Steam
The movement gathered more than 300 responses within a day of its launch. Timnit Gebru, a former Apple and Google employee and a co-organizer of the movement, told The Verge, “I experienced so many egregious things when I was at Apple, and always wondered how they manage to get out of the spotlight. I’m happy to see that Apple workers are organizing. It is past time for Apple to be held accountable.â€
Scarlette told iMoreOpens a new window that the responses they received revealed a “repetitive thread of reporting behavior and having it go nowhere, swept under the rug, or outright dismissed.†Interestingly, the responses came not only from the American employees but also from Europe. Further, a significant number of responses also came from former employees.
The movement’s Twitter handle has already gained over 2,300 followers and hundreds of retweets. Responses have been pouring in with the movement’s hashtag since it was launched.
Despite these controversies, Apple has remained silent. It is yet to be seen what action the company takes with regards to the allegations.
What do you think about Apple’s workplace practices? Do let us know on LinkedInOpens a new window , FacebookOpens a new window , and TwitterOpens a new window .