Apple wins class action lawsuit over bag searches
US-based computer tech giant, Apple, has won a class action lawsuit filed by its California store employees.
According to the lawsuit, Apple employees sought back pay for the time they had to spend to undergo checks of their bags every time they were leaving the company’s store, AFP reported.
The bag searchers, which are mandatory at Apple stores, are designed to make sure that the company staff do not steal or smuggle out Apple products.
Plaintiffs, however, said that they should be compensated for the time it took to wait for the search or undergo the search.
After hearing the lawsuit, US District Judge William Alsup denied the claim, saying that Apple employees were free to choose whether or not to bring bags to work. The judge added that not having a bag would mean that employees would not undergo any exit search.
"That free choice is fatal to their claims," he said in his judgment on Saturday, noting that Apple could simply have banned employees brining bags to work.
"Instead, Apple took the lesser step of giving its employees the optional benefit of bringing such items to work, which comes with the condition that they must undergo searches in a manner dictated by Apple before they exit the store," the judge further explained.
According to court filings made public earlier in the case, at least two Apple retail store workers had complained directly to the company’s Chief Executive Tim Cook that the technology company's policy of checking retail employees' bags as a security precaution was embarrassing and demeaning.
Lee Shalov, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said they are disappointed by the ruling and intend to explore all options, including a possible appeal.
An Apple spokeswoman contacted by media declined to comment on the case.
Class members in the bag search case included more than 12,000 current and former employees, according to a previous ruling.
Plaintiffs Amanda Frlekin and Dean Pelle alleged that "screenings," or bag searches, designed to discourage theft, are conducted every time sales representatives leave the store, including for meal breaks.
This is one of the rare cases when lawsuits have been filed against Apple from within the company.
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