One of the world’s most prominent tech forces is being publicly shamed today after a litany of employee complaints was leaked online.
“White male privilege runs unchecked,” reads one email from a female Apple employee. “The worst part is, you don’t know who to trust and who you can reach out to without continued harassment and retaliation. I am beyond discouraged and disheartened at my treatment and the lack of follow-up.”
Obtained by news site Mic, the message is just one of dozens which make up a 50-page dossier in which Apple employees discuss working in a "white, male, Christian, misogynist, sexist environment."
One female engineer went straight to the top with her complaint, contacting Tim Cook after abhorrent jokes came up in the workplace.
“Rape jokes in work chat is basically where I completely draw the limit," she wrote to the CEO. “I do not feel safe at a company that tolerates individuals who make rape jokes."
The woman went on to say that she was yet to receive a response from Cook or any company representative.
Notably, women weren’t the only ones to bemoan the sexist rhetoric with at least one man flagging the inappropriate behaviour.
“I would consistently be referred to as an emotional man that resembled having the qualities of a woman. Any male can tell you that being referred to as a woman is an insinuation that you are not strong enough or stable enough to handle the difficulties of life or work in the way a man can,” he wrote.
“One particular comment that stood out was that I was continually told that I was on my ‘Man Period.’ This is a statement used to push the fact that women while menstruating are emotional and cannot be depended on to do work or be rational while in this state.”
The leak will come as a huge blow to Apple, which has been bolstering diversity efforts in a bid to tackle the imbalance which is pervasive across the technology sector.
“Apple is committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect,” said a spokesperson. “When we receive complaints or hear that employees are concerned about their work environment, we take it very seriously and we investigate claims thoroughly.”
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