Judge Approves Apple's Plan to Pay $30.5 Million to Settle Bag Check Lawsuit

[laptech]

"embarrassing and demeaning" is ridiculous. This happens at the majority of manufacturing and distribution centers for a reason. And most are done after the employee clocks out. You don't like it find a new job. What's next ? Employees suing because it takes an extra 15 minutes to get out of the parking lot.

You are clearly an insensitive person. People carry all sorts of 'private, personal and sensitive' things in their bags and do not wish for others to know what is in there. Granted if a person knows security bag checks are in place then it is their responsibility to remove or limit what 'private, personal and sensitive' things they have in their bag. Some things that many would consider 'private, personal and sensitive' are at times required to be in the bag, things like medication, female sanitry products, other medical items. For example, my father (deceased) later on in life had bowel cancer and was thus fitted with a colostomy bag, he would also have to wear adult diapers because of incontinence due to the cancer and thus would carry extras in his bag as well as spare changes of underwear and always carry spare colostomy bag and tapes and towels and other items that would be required if a bag needed changing. He was a proud man and having to have all these items made him very very self conscious. Would he have been happy to have his bag checked by secuirty? hell no. Luckily the cancer affected him long after he retired from work BUT if this had happened during an age where he was still going to work and worked at a place where his bag was security checked every day, would he feel embarassed and demeaned that a member of security would have to rifle through all the 'private, personal and sensitive' stuff on a daily basis?, hell yes.

A past partner of mine was in the process of doing a Master degree when we met. The university she was attending had mandatory security bag checks and she would tell me that she would be embarrased on days when her period started and she would need to carry sanitory products and a spare pair of underwear if needed in her bag, knowing that a security guard was rifling through her 'private, personal and sensitive' things and also the fact the security guard would know the she was on her period due to things they would see in her bag. Was she embarrased on these days?, hell yes.

This is just two people who i knew who would have felt 'embarrassed and demeaned' at having their bags security checked so I have no doubt there would be thousands upon thousands of others who would be in the same or very similar situation/scenerio.

Also, the remark about 'if you don't like it find a new job' is such a crass comment in my my opinion because not everyone has the luxury to be able to quit a job one day and walk into a similar paid job (or even better paid) the next day. So please, engage your brain before making such comments.

 

[BellSystem]

This is what happens when you hire brain dead GAP managers to run your retail stores. They bring all the bad habits. Nice way to feel appreciated by your employer, treat them as a thief by default.

 

[fischersd]

Kinda ridiculous that they do this. (none of the tech companies I've worked for, over almost 30 years have done this).
You have cameras that record peoples movements and exits - if something goes missing, security goes through the recordings to find the culprits. (then they setup a sting to catch them in the act - as most thieves will repeat).

Subjecting thousands of employees to such scrutiny - certainly doesn't help to build morale.

 

[bbeagle]

If it takes your employees time and is work related, it must be done on the clock.

Not exactly. You commuting time is work related. You need to get from home to your job. It's NOT done on the clock.

 

[adrianlondon]

It takes what, 30-60 seconds to check a bag?

Maybe. But if there are 15 people leaving and you're last in the queue ...

If it's a one-off search (say once a month or so) then on or off the clock - who cares. If it's a daily task and hence part of your standard working day then one should be paid for it.

The courts agreed.

 

[Smearbrick]

Good. Similar thing happened in PA. A certain higher education institution was requiring their employees to be at their desks ten minutes before shift start. However, they weren't paying them for the time. Finally, the employees had enough of not having their concerns heard and filed a labor dispute with Labor and Industry. Guess what? The employees got ALL of their lost pay for over 2 years. Meanwhile, the idiot manager who implemented this silly policy is still employed.

 

[siddavis]

So many trying so hard to keep working at a place that is "embarrassing and demeaning" to them.

 

[larrylaffer]

Well it is wage theft. Makes me wonder what the people will get. $2 checks after lawyer fees?

Likely more, and maybe substantially more. When there’s a class action lawsuit that covers millions of people, something like "did you purchase ACME tuna between 1985 and 2020?", the payouts are tiny.

But when the class is limited to a smaller set of people, class members can actually get quite a bit of money. Attorneys fees for class actions usually run about 25-30% of the total settlement, but for the sake of argument let's say its 35%. $30 million spread across 15k employees after attorneys fees would be $1300 per person.

 

[ackmondual]

They searched me once. Thank god they didn't find that 27" iMac I had hidden under my shirt.

You jest and joke, but a bag handler at an airport did get fired many years ago b/c he shoved an iPad into his pants.

 

[ackmondual]

and that employees who did not want to be subject to searches could leave their bags at home, but that argument did not work for Apple.

That's an extra heaping of bs there.
1) The company that helped pioneered the masses carrying their iPads and iPhones around is now saying leave your iPads at home (I'm assuming phones would be fine since those can be carried in your pockets, so no need for a bag)
2) Some people need their bags. Medication, feminine hygiene products, needles to administer medication, needles in case allergies flare up (one person with a peanut allergy has to assemble a syringe and jam it into his thigh in case something like, a peanut shell comes into contact with his skin), documents, water bottles, snacks, etc.

I wonder if they installed lockers or something.

 

[ackmondual]

More like Chromebook 😂😂😂

It's not easy, but it is possible to get a decent, used MacBook for $500.
OTOH, $500 for a Chromebook is definitely doable. However, Costco had a half off sale for one for only $200. Bummed I missed that as my current Chromebook has been in use for many years, but we can still continue using it for the time being.

 

[fischersd]

It's not easy, but it is possible to get a decent, used MacBook for $500.
OTOH, $500 for a Chromebook is definitely doable. However, Costco had a half off sale for one for only $200. Bummed I missed that as my current Chromebook has been in use for many years, but we can still continue using it for the time being.

Heh - we had people at IBM (PC Company) in the 90's that got turfed for stealing mice. $7 internal price and they risked their job for it. (think EPP was about $20?)

Then you have the guys at BlackBerry that relabeled a skid of devices at the plant to go to an alternate location - pretty sure they got caught (but the gossip mill never found out for certain as the investigation was kept under wraps).

 

[danakin]

Another victory for Millennial crybabies.

If the world doesn’t give you everything your little heart desires, just hire a lawyer.

I don't believe age has anything to do with what's right or ethical.
Apple (or any other company doing this) is flat out wrong.
What boggles the mind is how simple this would have been to address. It's nothing more than process management.

Assuming someone's shift ends at 4:00 pm

• Option 1 - compensate employees for their time if the bag check cannot be completed by 4:00 pm
• Option 2 - manage your scheduling to allow for the bag check to be completed in time for an employee's shift to end, say 3:45 - 4:00

This isn't rocket surgery. If the bag checks take too long that's a staffing and process management problem; it's not an employee problem. It's management's responsibility to have a process in place and actively manage that process. If someone has to stay over their shift' end-time it's overtime. Pretty darn simple calculus.

Of course if employees waste time or don't behave professionally they need to be dealt with and managed.

 

[true god]

yet here you are

I'd do the same if I could ahahaha

 

[atomic.flip]

"embarrassing and demeaning" is ridiculous. This happens at the majority of manufacturing and distribution centers for a reason. And most are done after the employee clocks out. You don't like it find a new job. What's next ? Employees suing because it takes an extra 15 minutes to get out of the parking lot.

Clearly you may not have any experience dealing with matters of subtlety. For example, a woman might have sensitive personal items in their bag. Or anyone might have prescription medication. Of which none of that is ANY of Apple’s business. They need to find better ways to control inventory. Subjecting everyone to bag checks is ludicrous.

Setup RFID readers at entry and exit points and simply sound an alarm when ever a tagged item leaves the premises. Done and done. For the love of god bag checks are for 3rd world banana republics. Not a trillion dollar tech company.

 

[Smearbrick]

Another victory for Millennial crybabies.

If the world doesn’t give you everything your little heart desires, just hire a lawyer.

Good one, Boomer. I suppose you just work and work and work and never worry about being compensated fairly. Congratulations! I suppose you walked uphill, both ways, to school as well and bathed in a mountain stream as child? Just because people ask for fair treatment doesn't make them crybabies.

 

[KurtMann]

It's almost like unions are a good idea or something... 🤔

A union is a necessary evil sometimes. An employee needs to realise his/hers responsibility towards the employer, and vice a versa. If Apple demand that, as a part of their job, they need to stay, they should get money for that. No question.

Unions have done great things, and probably still do sometimes. But I don't like them. They cost money and quickly turn into its own machine.

It is a failure from the employer if the employee feels the need to unionise. I myself have only worked for small businesses, so my perspective is probably skewed.

 

[KurtMann]

I have no doubt there are many companies around the world who have done this. It was either last year or the year before that it was reported that a large sporting goods retail company in the UK, Sports Direct got caught out for doing the same thing at it's warehouses.

Employees stealing is a big problem for a lot of businesses. I think especially for big faceless chains where you never meet who you're working for.

 

[ackmondual]

Employees stealing is a big problem for a lot of businesses. I think especially for big faceless chains where you never meet who you're working for.

I hear Walmart insurance and expenses has about 10% theft for any given year. 5% is actually considered good. Granted, we're talking much less high margin stuff, but it is something they do take into account (fun fact, along with an annual, $1 billion electricity bill!).

 

[Randomac]

Apple will pay $30.5 million to settle a long-running lawsuit over employee bag checks, reports Bloomberg Law. Apple initially agreed to the sum in November 2021, and now a judge has given final approval to the settlement amount.

The class action lawsuit involves 14,683 California employees who were subjected to off-the-clock bag searches between July 25, 2009 and August 10, 2015. Apple was subjecting employees to mandatory bag checks that were described as "embarrassing and demeaning" in the class-action lawsuit, and because those checks were conducted after a shift, employees were at work for an extra 10 to 15 minutes without being paid.

Apple claimed that its bag searches ensured employees were not hiding stolen electronics in their personal belongings, and that employees who did not want to be subject to searches could leave their bags at home, but that argument did not work for Apple.

After several appeals, the court ruled that Apple had to pay California employees for the time they had spent in bag searches, and Apple in January created a website where both current and former employees could learn about the settlement and submit claims.

Article Link: Judge Approves Apple's Plan to Pay $30.5 Million to Settle Bag Check Lawsuit

This is ridiculous. No one gives a crap about the few bucks they‘re owed for being off the clock as opposed to the embarrassment of being accused of theft and the invasion of privacy. You can’t search people just because they are your employees just like you can’t search anybody who enters your store to purchase products. You have to have a reason and in this country something beyond a reasonable doubt. The settlement should’ve been way more money. You can’t put a price tag on humiliation and invasion of privacy. If I were Apple I would steer clear of anything similar to these actions in the future. Wow. The company who literally ensures our privacy security is top priority. If we can’t trust you who can we trust!!! I’m baffled.

 

[Randomac]

I hear Walmart insurance and expenses has about 10% theft for any given year. 5% is actually considered good. Granted, we're talking much less high margin stuff, but it is something they do take into account (fun fact, along with an annual, $1 billion electricity bill!).

I hear Walmart insurance and expenses has about 10% theft for any given year. 5% is actually considered good. Granted, we're talking much less high margin stuff, but it is something they do take into account (fun fact, along with an annual, $1 billion electricity bill!).

Why would anybody want someone to be working for them that they feel like they need to search consistently? That person would be off my payroll so quick. Just my take on it.

 

[ackmondual]

Why would anybody want someone to be working for them that they feel like they need to search consistently? That person would be off my payroll so quick. Just my take on it.

AFAIK, they don't do any searching, save for big ticket items. It seems it really isn't worth the employee's time, nor the liability to see if someone swiped a pack of gum or whatever.

 

[panzer06]

I have no background in law but it always sucks to hear about these class action lawsuits only benefiting particular states and not the US as a whole. I doubt California was the only state these bag searches were occurring. That said, I'll fully acknowledge the enforceable laws in California is likely the reason why this only applied there.

California has much stricter wage and employment laws than most states. It's one of the reasons most of the WFH aggregators (who primarily use 1099 contractors) like Arise prohibit people from those states.

Is it because they checked the bags or because they were not paid for those additional minutes? I did a summer job at Siemens factories as a student and they did bag checks almost every day

Bag checks must happen on the clock. Otherwise the employee must be paid

 

[LonestarOne]

This isn't rocket surgery. If the bag checks take too long that's a staffing and process management problem; it's not an employee problem. It's management's responsibility to have a process in place and actively manage that process. If someone has to stay over their shift' end-time it's overtime. Pretty darn simple calculus.

You expect overtime because you brought luggage to work with you, knowing it would impose a burden on other people to check it?

You’re not responsible for the consequences of your actions? Management is responsible?

What a rotten attitude.

 

[ericwn]

You expect overtime because you brought luggage to work with you, knowing it would impose a burden on other people to check it?

You’re not responsible for the consequences of your actions? Management is responsible?

What a rotten attitude.

Yeah the rotten attitude is rather those low folks who live in a world of ignorance where they don’t have employees bringing their lunches, medications and other items for their daily use with them I’m their backs on their mental radar. The crybaby is the one who has the trillion dollar business here.

Luggage? Thanks for the chuckle.