Apple Inc. is being investigated by the United States Department of Labor over allegations of retaliation against a whistleblower, the Financial Times reported on Monday. The news organization saw a letter the department sent to former Apple employee Ashley Gjovik and verified that an inquiry is underway.
Gjovik tweeted about multiple workplace safety concerns, as well as harassment and surveillance issues and was subsequently fired from her senior engineering program manager post after six years with the company, over what Apple described as "leaking confidential information," according to the report.
After voicing her worries about her office in Sunnyvale, California, being built on a site previously contaminated by hazardous waste, she said she was "intimidated" by the company's employee relations department not to publicly reveal her concerns. In addition, Gjovik also noted that a potential conflict of interest may have occurred due to Apple board member Ronald Sugar being previously employed as chair and CEO at Northrop Grumman, the company "responsible for the dump - and maintenance - of waste materials beneath the Sunnyvale office," according to the report.
