Deirdre Obrien, Apple's chief of retail and people, addressed employees in a video broadcast days before Labor Day. She spoke out to address the increasing number of Apple employees who are voicing concerns about workplace issues such as pay inequality.
In case you didn't know, Apple employees took to Twitter over the past few weeks to vent their frustrations at work, sparking the "AppleToo” movement. The "Apple Too," an initiative created by employees, is pushing Apple to "fulfill it promise of inclusion diversity and equity," according to the website.
Deirdre tells employees who are having workplace problems to speak to their managers or "business relations partner" in the video. Apple employs a confidential process to investigate all complaints and treat everyone with respect and dignity.
This is what I want to tell you. If you have any concerns about Apple's pay, please speak to your manager or people business partner. If you have concerns about your workplace, you can talk to us. We have a confidential process that will investigate all complaints in a manner that respects dignity and respects everyone.
Employees claim that O'Brien's suggestion of consulting a manager didn't work for some employees. One employee, who requested anonymity, told MacRumors that the system was not working and had been set up to work against them from the beginning.
An employee stated that managers often tell workers that their salaries are "in line" with their field. This can lead to confusion about why their salary is not the same as another employee. According to the employee, if they complain to Apple's people department, it can lead to retaliation.
O'Brien does not mention AppleToo in the video. However, she says that she knows of "few employees who have asked questions about pay equity". O'Brien says Apple is committed to pay equity and that it uses industry standards to achieve it.
We follow industry-standard methods and have a dedicated team that oversees a thorough process to maintain and monitor pay equity. We also partner with an independent third-party that analyses our compensation every year. We close any gap identified by this analysis. Our approach is best in class.
O'Brien stated that Apple had already achieved pay equity based on data taken from the United States. However, she said it was still an ongoing effort.
AppleToo is still gathering stories from Apple employees, and they are sharing their experiences via Twitter. We have reached out to Apple for comments and will keep you updated if we receive a response.
