Apple faces a big new headache: Unhappy workers are speaking up publicly on Twitter.- Senior engineering manager Ashley M. Gjøvik tweeted multiple allegations of
bullying and harassment. - The Verge reported and Gjøvik herself says she is currently on leave from Apple.
An Apple employee who was placed on leave in early August after tweeting about sexism at the company has shared further allegations of bullying and mismanagement.
Senior engineering program manager Ashley Gjøvik has added to earlier public claims of "sexism, a hostile work environment, sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions, and retaliation."
Gjøvik's comments coincide with a rise in Apple's employees speaking out publicly about their dissatisfaction with working conditions at the notoriously secretive tech firm.
On Monday night, Gjøvik tweeted she had only shared "~5%" of the evidence of misconduct she had submitted to Apple's employee relations department, including allegations of assault, sexual discrimination, and retaliation.
-Ashley M. Gjøvik (@ashleygjovik) August 16, 2021
In a series of tweets, she claimed senior employees kept a whiteboard tally of votes on how they could make her "life a living hell", that she was regularly excluded from important emails, and that some were known to peer-pressure other employees into drinking alcohol during working hours.
Gjøvik also claimed an unnamed senior employee yelled at her in public and private, called her an "idiot", and "locked me in a conf room alone & screamed at me while I cried, & kept threatening to smack me."
Gjøvik publicly shared screenshots and internal messages alongside some of her claims.
Insider has not independently verified Gjøvik's statements and has approached her for comment.
Gjøvik's LinkedIn states that she has been working at Apple for more than six years.
She first began tweeting allegations of sexism against colleagues at Apple in late July and early August.
In these initial tweets, she claimed she was offered counseling after speaking up about workplace misconduct, and shared a series of private messages from male coworkers.
In one apparent exchange, a male coworker commented on a presentation given by Gjøvik: "I didn't hear you go up an octave at the end of your statements," adding: "came across as much more authoritative."
In another, shortly after Gjøvik says she sent a lengthy email asking if Apple's leadership would issue a statement on sexual assault following allegations of sexual misconduct against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, one coworker responded by texting her a news article in which Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended him, adding "FWIW".
The Verge reported that Gjøvik was placed on leave after her tweets on August 4.
Another Apple engineer, Kiran Kumar, stated on Twitter on August 17 that Gjøvik was listed internally at Apple as being on "indefinite paid administrative leave via employee relations."
Insider approached Apple for comment.
Are you a current or former Apple employee with more to share? You can contact this reporter securely using the encrypted messaging app Signal (+447801985586) or email (mcoulter@businessinsider.com). Reach out using a nonwork device.