Apple Accused of Unpaid Wages by California Employees

Whether you are a fan of Apple products or not, you are probably already sick of hearing about the iPhone 6. Fortunately for you, this article has nothing to do with the media’s most-talked about gadget. It does, however, touch briefly on Apple’s questionable employment and pay practices. 

Three years ago, several Apple employees sued the company for violating several California labor codes including not providing employees adequate breaks, not providing itemized wage statements, and not paying them in a reasonable amount of time upon employment termination. Under California law, most non-exempt employees must receive an uninterrupted 30 minute meal break for every 5 hours worked. These employees must also be given a rest break for every 3 1/2 hours they work or major fraction thereof.  Furthermore, all employees must be paid their final paycheck upon termination or within 72 hours of quitting.

The plaintiffs are currently seeking back pay for themselves and potentially as much as 20,000 other affected employees. The lawsuit recently received class-action status by the California Superior Court. The potential claims of these current and former employees date back to 2007.

Do you think Apple took a bite out of their employees wages? Do you think these missed break allegations will affect a “socially conscious” company like Apple?  Leave us your opinion in the comments below. 

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