The problems surrounding the Apple’s leak, seems to be turning bigger as the day passes. These policies are in regards to how employees handle information both at the workplace and at home were revealed in a leaked document, which depicts a tightly controlled and regulated operation with no room for error.
Everything was all calm and good, till October end, but things switched terribly as Samuel Crisp, a worker who criticized his iPhone and job in a series of Facebook posts, an employment tribunal has ruled. Now one might see a leaked document outlining employee guidelines making rounds on the Internet, which summarizes Apple’s unwavering commitment to secrecy, allowing little margin for error in a culture saturated by social media.
That created a lot of troubles as a recent UK court case had questioned Apple’s dismissal of a retail employee over comments he made on Facebook brought attention to internal policies regarding what can and can’t be said about the company. However, Apple came out clear of the issue as the court ruled that Apple was clear of any wrongdoing, with the tribunal ruling that the termination was justified, agreeing that brand and image were central to the company’s success.
The problem for the tech giant has only been frustrating, as earlier only the specifics of Apple’s policy was unknown to the public, and only a few vague details were given about how employees are expected to conduct themselves online. But tearing apart that controversy, this newly leaked papers give rare insight into how the company handles information and its policies regarding social media and the Internet.
Noting the general points, employees must follow Apple’s principles of business conduct:
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Honesty. Demonstrate honesty and high ethical standards in all business dealings.
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Respect. Treat customers, suppliers, employees, and others with respect and courtesy.
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Confidentiality. Protect the confidentiality of Apple’s information and the information of our customers, suppliers, and employees.
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Community. Conduct business in a way that benefits the communities in which we operate.
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Compliance. Ensure that business decisions comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
A conduct in any way against the above set points, could be grounds for termination. This was noted and the extract of the same is posted below:
All such individuals are expected to comply with Apple’s business conduct policy and principles and with all applicable legal requirements. Apple retains the right to discipline (up to and including termination of employment) or end working relationships with those who do not comply.
Talking about the internal policies of Apple, it can be noted that it was applied to social media, for example Facebook, Apple tells employees to “be thoughtful about how you present yourself in online social networks. The lines between public and private, and personal and professional are blurred in online social networks.”
One can read the view the entire Apple internal policies packet here.