Download Leopard, get fired from the Apple Store
According to Think Secret, Apple has fired at least five employees of its retails stores for illegally downloading copies of the upcoming Mac OS 10.5 Leopard. Pre-release copies of the OS were distributed by Apple to WWDC attendees two weeks ago and have since made their way online, and "dozens" of Apple retail employees now face termination after being overheard discussing their "acquisition" of the software. "All of us know that we violated our NDA and ethics policy. Therefore, because we had the character to tell the truth and to face the consequences of our actions, we were terminated," said one of the fired employees told Think Secret on condition of anonymity. "My only question is, if we all lied and denied it would we still be working at Apple today? Even more so, is that the kind of person that Apple wants working for them?"[Via Engadget]
Comments
3
Subscribe to commentsFabuloAug 23rd 2006 4:56PM
You can get fired for something that is overheard?
Granted, the discussion among collegues of not-so-legal practices is probably inappropriate in the workplace.
What I want to know though is if they would face termination had they discussed other shady activities, like andr.net or kazaa mp3 downloading.
Then again, Apple was more than aware that their 'preview' (a.k.a. beta) os will end up on the internet 4 seconds after it hits the public.
"Therefore, because we had the character to tell the truth and to face the consequences of our actions, we were terminated"
So because you admit it upfront makes it ok? It does not fit well with the logic of the real world.
Lee JonesAug 23rd 2006 7:27PM
"..we violated our NDA and ethics policy... we had the character to tell the truth and to face the consequences... we were terminated"
OK, so what's the problem? The employees
1) knew that this was could lead to termination,
2) did it anyway,
3) were overheard talking about it. That doesn't sound like "having character" so much as "getting caught."
So, yeah, if they had kept their mouths shut they might still work there. And considering they got fired, "people who have character" are the kind of people that Apple wants working for them, but this anonymous ex-employee doesn't fit that mould.
David GawAug 24th 2006 12:15AM
"My only question is, if we all lied and denied it would we still be working at Apple today? Even more so, is that the kind of person that Apple wants working for them?"
I'm guessing no, Apple wants the kind of person working for them that doesn't illegally download software, and therefore has no need to lie about it.