Apple Accused Of Underpaying Female Workers; Amazon Under 'Labour Law Violation'

Apple Inc. is facing a new legal battle as they struggle with a recent lawsuit from two of their former female employees. The plaintiffs, Justina Jong and Amina Salgado claim that Apple has been systematically paying their female workers lower wages as compared to their male counterparts for doing the same amount of work as them.

Jong and Salgado aren't just fighting for themselves but are representing 12,000 of Apple's current and former employees, resulting in the lawsuit turning into a class action. According to the complaint, before 2018, Apple asked their interviewees what they were paid in their previous jobs to determine their starting salaries. In doing so, they continued to perpetuate the gender wage gap that working women already face. Even after California's legislature prohibited the practice, the company found another way by asking applicants about their salary expectations. According to the report, both these practices led to women having lower pay expectations leading to a wage gap becoming a part of the workplace culture.

The bias did not end there. The complainants also reported that their male peers would routinely score higher on teamwork and leadership, resulting in them also getting higher bonuses as compared to the women.

Salgado filed several complaints with Apple regarding the wage gap and they did order an investigation. However, their probing was to no avail until a third-party investigation occurred after which Salgado's salary was increased to match her male counterparts. Sadly, she did not receive any compensation for all the years she got paid less.

Apple's Pattern of Toxic Work Culture

This is not the first time the women working for Apple have sought recourse against the company. In 2022, several women went to human resources with alleged complaints of sexual abuse and workplace harassment. These charges failed to produce any outcome. Instead, they were blatantly ignored, minimised or in some cases the complainants even faced backlash for coming forward.

Meanwhile, Amazon workers in India alleged that they are directed to take oaths they won't take toilet or water breaks until their target of unloading packages is completed. 

As per a report in Indian Express, the worker also alleged that women are the worst affected as “the trucks are hot from being parked outside, and when they unload articles, they get exhausted quickly."

An Amazon spokesperson clarified and said an investigation was underway.