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Apple Retail Employees File Class Action Lawsuit Over 'Bag Check' Lost Wages


Jim Feeley

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"A pair of former Apple Retail employees have filed a class action lawsuit against Apple for lost wages. The lawsuit stems from an Apple retail policy that requires employees have their personal bags and purses inspected by managers before leaving the store for breaks, lunches and at the end of a shift.

The lawsuit alleges that employees are made to wait -- off the clock -- for as long as 5 to 15 minutes per shift while waiting for a manager to inspect their belongings for stolen property. The policy is in effect at all Apple Retail stores and could potentially affect thousands of employees going back more than 10 years."

 

Rest of the story along with a copy of the complaint can be found here:

http://www.macrumors.com/2013/07/29/apple-retail-employees-file-class-action-lawsuit-over-bag-check-lost-wages/

 

 

 

Sure, Apple needs to protect their inventory. But why make employees pay for that? IIRC, previous cases like this (for example, fast-food restaurants requiring employees to wait off-the-clock in a break room in case they're needed for meal-time rushes) have been resolved in favor of the employees. 

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I worked one retail job that had a good amount of theft. They only checked us once, and that was when we were leaving at the end of our shift, and really they only took a brief glance inside purses. I never had anything other than a jacket, so they just waved me through. That's the way it should be done. No need to make employees wait that long. When you work retail and get a break or go on lunch, every minute counts, and losing even 5 minutes is a big deal.

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Well, at least Apple is doing what Walmart has been doing, locking the doors and not even letting the workers leave after having completed their paid shift. I imagine that what Apple will do is institute a streamlined process for inspection so that the employees can leave in s timely manner. I think their is an app for that: iInspect.

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I don't begrudge Apple for making a premium product that people want.

 

But considering Apple nets roughly a half-million dollars per year per employee, it seems a little strange that they would go to such extreme lengths to ensure their employees aren't taking items. Guilty until proven innocent?

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On the stagehand jobs I've had where we were in secured areas and subject to things like this, the result is that the time we went off the clock was not the time they said "leave for lunch" but the time that we were ACTUALLY free to leave. If that meant that lunch was 75 minutes from the "leave for lunch" call... So be it. We never heard one word about it from any of the clients.

 

It does seem that the less you are being paid / the lower down the economy you are... The more anal the management is about stepping on the worker. Could it be, that the local management are simply being grumpy that they can't really advance to the big-bucks level?

 

If this is coming from Apple corporate, maybe it is because of the videos online of people in the backrooms of the stores smashing iphones and using them for games of stickball and hockey?

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Luckily I/we don't work in retail. Although I should get a few minutes OT everytime they call wrap and we chase around actors and directors for a good 30 plus minutes :).

You are still on the clock. I don't clock out until I have all my gear packed up, audio is transferred or handed off, and I'm actually heading out.

Production Sound Mixing for Television, Film, and Commercials.

www.matthewfreed.com

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You are still on the clock. I don't clock out until I have all my gear packed up, audio is transferred or handed off, and I'm actually heading out.

Production Sound Mixing for Television, Film, and Commercials.

www.matthewfreed.com

 

Agreed. +1

 

Grip isn't finished until their truck's packed -- neither are we.

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I worked one retail job that had a good amount of theft. They only checked us once, and that was when we were leaving at the end of our shift, and really they only took a brief glance inside purses. I never had anything other than a jacket, so they just waved me through. That's the way it should be done. No need to make employees wait that long. When you work retail and get a break or go on lunch, every minute counts, and losing even 5 minutes is a big deal.

 

Not condoning their behavior, but unless you were working in a jewelry store, then the size:cost ratio of Apple products (iPods) is not the equaled at most retail stores.... and Apple products are probably easier to resell "used" (stolen). 

Again, not condoning this allegation, but I can only guess that they did this because they had theft problems. Apple would know if the products were missing from the floor or "behind the counter", so they probably had a good idea if it was staff. 

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In Casino's (like Bellagio) any employee that wants to have a bag has to buy a clear one. When they walk on property, way before you get near a time clock, a security guard is greeting everyone and is looking through the clear bags. The same thing happens when they walk out of the door to exit the property. There is a single entrance and exit for employees and it is forbidden to leave at any other exit. Get caught, get fired is the policy!

 

Anyone with a backpack or regular bag gets searched both in and out and had to go to a separate room. Needless to say people don't bring regular bags more than one time. 

 

Contractors all have secure aeras that they are logged in and out. Every bit of kit is checked/inspected and cataloged in and out.  Super slow process but these gigs pay well.

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