Ashley Gjovik, an ex-employee, has accused Apple of exposing her to gaseous organic chemicals from a secret chip fabrication plant located near her home, reports AppleInsider.
In September 2021, Apple reportedly the senior engineering program manager who had been speaking out about harassment at the firm, according to Business Insider. The tech giant said she leaked confidential information.
For the past few months prior to her firing, Gjøvik had been openly tweeting allegations of bullying and mismanagement at the tech giant, claiming senior employees kept a whiteboard tally of votes on how they could make her “life a living hell”. She said she was regularly excluded from important emails, and that some were known to peer-pressure other employees into drinking alcohol during working hours, according to Business Insider.
In September 2021, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said it was investigating the firing of Gjovik. The NLRB is an independent agency of the federal government of the U.S. with responsibilities for enforcing U.S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. It automatically investigates all complaints it receives, and Gjovik reportedly filed a case over Apple’s firing of her. In December 2021, the U.S. Labor Department launched a whistleblower retaliation investigation regarding the incident.
Also in 2021, Gjovik claimed that the Apple building where her office was situated was build on a Superfund site. This is a previously-contaminated area, and Gjovik reported Apple to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Now in a separate case, Gjovik has said on Mastodon that she has a copy of an EPA report concerning an investigation into a tip-off regarding Apple.
Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
