back to article 18,000 Apple employees could get bite of profits with class-action lawsuit

A lawsuit against Apple by disgruntled employees has just been granted class-action status, potentially creating a payday for staff who say the firm held back their wages and stopped them from taking rest breaks. The lawsuit (PDF), originally filed in 2011 by former Apple retail and corporate staff, claims that managers …

  1. Number6

    So Apple settle for, say, $10 million. $9 million of that will be for lawyers' fees and the other $1 million will be split amongst the employees, about $55 each. That's normally how these things work, isn't it?

    1. Khaptain Silver badge
      Trollface

      And they will recover the $10m by asking one of their child labour farms to stop feeding the children 7 days a week, 6 is enough after all....

      Or alternatively they could just put a cheaper antenna in the iPhone ( oops..... tried that already and it didn't work, literally)

      1. James Micallef Silver badge

        "they will recover the $10m"

        according to internationally approved accounting standards, any such fines can be classified as normal business expense and therefore used to decrease tax liabilty. Apple fine $10mln, they have $10mln less profit so pay $3.5mln less tax. In practice I think there are other loopholes/shenanigans that allow even more to be recovered.

        That's why the big banks aren't too bothered about the megafines for Libor fixing etc

    2. Kirel

      Class action lawsuits are *never* paydays for the plaintiffs.

      @Number6 - I concur completely. Class action lawsuits only benefit the lawyers. I hope that they also cause the company to think twice before doing such things again, but I'm not convinced. I expect companies tend to write it off as the cost of doing business.

    3. MalcolmTucker

      It depends; yet, many attorneys go on to be investors in new business in the area they live. It's a better model than shifting all profits to a numbered bank account in the country of Ireland. That money, once in Ireland can't be spent in the US until income taxes are paid to the IRS.

      Ideally, in the US, to file with the US Department of Labor's Whistleblower website. DoL often works with the FBI and I've been something of a fan of Preet Bharara as of late.

      When you file with the Government, it runs slower, but the investigations are typically more accurate. US Taxes pay for the attorneys fees and salary... But... Apple doesn't pay much in taxes.

  2. Hellcatm

    This is typical apple. Like the other two people said they'll get off with a slap on the wrist and that will be it. We can only hope this doesn't happen and they owe these poor people what they're owed. Even if they do though the apple fanboys won't look at them as doing anything wrong and keep buying their crappy products.

  3. Alex Rose
    FAIL

    Hey APPLE!

    Wheres you're much vaunted "Do no EVIL" now?!

    Steve Jobs should be thrown in jail but we all know that's not going to happen!! In fashist America only money talks!!!

    1. Khaptain Silver badge

      Re: Hey APPLE!

      @Alex : I must point out some facts.

      1 : It was Google that coined the phrase "Do no evil", not Apple.

      2 : Steve Jobs is dead, so jail time wouldn't actually be very usefull unless his cellmate was a necrophiliac.

      3 : Fashist is actually spelt : Fascist ( The word Spelt is the preference of the British, Spelled if you are over the other side of the pond)

      1. thomas k.
        Thumb Up

        Re: Hey APPLE!

        So, boo-yaa for the cellmate!

      2. This post has been deleted by its author

      3. Alex Rose
        Happy

        Re: Hey KHAPTAIN!

        I also misspelled where's and your and was thinking about dropping in "vornted" but I thought that would be a little too obvious.

        Judging by yours and other's posts I would probably have got away with it!

      4. Ralara

        Re: Hey APPLE!

        @Khaptain

        I would bet my month's salary that you fell for a troll.

        1. Khaptain Silver badge

          Re: Hey APPLE!

          I am in the unfortunate position of having to admit that, Yes, I probably did.

    2. AceRimmer
      Facepalm

      Re: Hey APPLE!

      "Wheres you're much vaunted "Do no EVIL" now?!"

      That's Google

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_be_evil

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hey APPLE!

      Apple - you sure?

      Actually, that post is so full of flame bait it must be done on purpose...

    4. 's water music

      Re: Hey APPLE!

      Alex Rose FTW!

  4. MrDamage Silver badge

    Foxconn Managers

    Appear to have been less "rogue agents", and more "towing the company line".

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Foxconn Managers

      That's "toeing", but never mind.

  5. cs94njw

    Offshore cash, fines, and taxes?

    I had a thought about their off shore cash-piles....

    ... if they pay any court costs/government fines - do they pay tax on money used from abroad?

    Perhaps this is a neat way of losing profits due to legal action, while still benefiting from tax avoidance in other countries.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Offshore cash, fines, and taxes?

      They could pay fines/costs from non-US governments with those funds, but if they used them for US fines the money must be repatriated first and full US taxes paid (less whatever taxes have already been paid on it in other countries)

      So if Apple or Google get some bigass fine from the EU they'll be able to use money that has not been fully taxed in the US to pay for it, but if it is in the US they must repatriate first.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Withholding wages has been going on for millenia

    "You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or immigrants who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt" (Deuteronomy 24:14-15)

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Withholding wages has been going on for millenia

      I guess it's not the Jesus phone after all...

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