Apple Sued, Allegedly Fired Employees For Religious Practices

JAKARTA - Apple was again dragged into legal trouble after the United States-Owned Job Opportunities Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against religious discrimination against the tech giant. The lawsuit accuses Apple of rejecting religious accommodation and dismissing an employee.

In an official release, the EEOC said the alleged violation occurred in Apple Reston, Virginia, and violated the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which protects workers from religious-based discrimination.

The employee being sued for his case is an Apple Genius who has worked for 16 years with a positive performance record. The problem arose after he decided to embrace Jewish religion in 2023 and asked for accommodation to run Shabbat. Shabbat took place from Friday evening to Saturday night, where adherents were prohibited from doing certain types of work.

However, the request was rejected by the new store manager on the grounds that Apple's scheduling policy no longer allowed the two days off. Fear of being considered against the rules and at risk of being fired, the employee ended up working during Shabbat even though it was against his belief.

Shortly after that, Apple began to discipline him on the grounds of violating the groundbreaking rules or appearances. At its peak, when the employee reminded his superiors about the upcoming religious holidays, he was instead dismissed on the grounds of re-gurooming violations.

The EEOC confirmed that the dismissal was believed to have occurred due to two things: requests for religious accommodation and employee complaints related to discrimination he experienced. According to federal law, Title VII also prohibits any form of retaliation against employees who refuse discrimination.

This is not the first time Apple has faced a discrimination lawsuit. In 2022, a former Apple patent attorney sued the company for discrimination and harassment after reporting his co-workers. A year earlier, former Cher Scarlett employees led the #AppleToo movement to uncover internal issues, ranging from issues of racism, sexism, to wage gaps that management often ignores.