Apple fires employee who led #AppleToo movement for 'non compliance': Reports

A senior employee of Apple was fired by the tech company for "non-compliance" after she erased a few personal files from her office device, including applications such as Google Drive, Robin Hood, and Pokemon Go, according to various media reports. Janneke Parrish, who is also a leader of the #AppleToo movement, however, told media houses that her sacking was a result of her speaking up against an alleged pattern of discrimination, including racism and sexism, inside the company.

Parrish, who worked for the tech giant company for five years, looks at this termination as a consequence she is facing for publicly raising her voice about issues within the company, The Guardian reported.

"I've been very vocal, I’ve been very public. I have not been afraid to put my name and attach my face to #AppleToo This feels very much like retaliation for having the courage to speak out," Janneke Parrish was quoted by The Guardian as saying. 

Apple fires employee who led #AppleToo movement

Apple has been reportedly witnessing employee unrest situations for several days. Recently, a former Apple employee, Ashley Gjovik, was allegedly removed from his post for leaking information. Gjovik filed a complaint against the company with the National Labor Relations Board.

According to a report published in The Guardian, Parrish said that the tech giant had informed her that she was under investigation for leaking information to the press. Parrish said she has been actively involved in speaking up against the company's alleged discriminatory rules but did not leak any information. On the other hand, Parrish's device was also seized by the company during the investigation. 

The company, according to Parish, always promoted using the official device for personal use. Accordingly, Parrish said, before handing over the device, she deleted a few personal files that contained her financial data and personal details. However, the leader of the #AppleToo movement stated that she did not expect to be fired and that her participation in the movement would have a negative impact on her career. She said, "Speaking out is seen as fundamentally disloyal."

In August, a group of employees, including Parrish and Gjovik, reportedly started the #AppleToo movement, which aims to collect present and past experiences of employees' experiences of inequity, intimidation, and abuse. Though the campaign tried to reveal some systemic issues, there is no improvement, said Parrish.

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