Mofidi told a California state court in early December that, after she raised concerns about receiving less pay than her male counterparts and participating in an investigation into Blahnik's sexual harassment, she was given an “awful" choice: to work under a performance improvement plan or quit, reported Law360.In her lawsuit, Mofidi accuses the company and the VP of violating the California labor code as follows:
- Unlawful Retaliatory Harassment Creating a Hostile Work Environment and Resulting in Constructive Termination Due to Testimony in Investigation of Sex Harassment
- Unlawful Retaliatory Harassment Creating a Hostile Work Environment and Resulting in Constructive Termination Due to Opposition to Unequal Pay Based on Gender
- Unlawful Discrimination and Harassment Because of Sex
- Failure to Prevent Unlawful Retaliatory Harassment
- Retaliation Based on Whistleblowing
- Failure to Engage in Interactive Process and Make Reasonable Accommodation
- Wrongful Termination
In her September 2022 performance review, Mofidi said her salary increases were not as high as those awarded her male colleagues and subordinates; specifically, she brought up with Blahnik “the known pattern of unequal pay in the tech industry, her previous receipt of an unequal mid-year bonus, and her concern over her monetary adjustment and awards being lower than her male counterparts. Blahnik, however, “curtly brushed over the topic without acknowledging her concerns... Rather, he was annoyed that she had raised these issues."
Also in September, an Apple employee relations representative asked Mofidi to participate in an investigation into Blahnik's conduct toward her former direct supervisor, which she was reluctant to do, her lawsuit states. After her participation in the investigation, Mofidi said that Blahnik "inexplicably exploded" at her during a meeting, and she received a poor performance review, despite other Apple employees praising her work.
In April 2023, Mofidi’s Apple Fitness+ audio team received two nominations for Webby awards (the leading international awards honoring excellence on the Internet) for their work producing the company's "Time to Walk" and "Time to Run" audio series. But the day Mofidi heard of the nominations, she was given the option by two supervisors of either working under a performance improvement plan or signing a severance agreement.
Mofidi believed she was being retaliated against, and she voiced her concerns to employee relations. Apple started an investigation into her allegations, but Blahnik continued to mistreat her and unleashed on her "a storm of disturbing hostility", she says in her complaint.
By June 2023 Mofidi’s anxiety she had developed as a result of her work environment resulted in her taking a medical leave of absence. Four months later, Apple told Mofidi that their investigation did not determine that she had been retaliated against, and asked her to return to work, against her doctor’s advice if she returned to a workplace that involved Blahnik. Mofidi says she had no choice but to quit.
Mofidi’s lawsuit states that her agreement with Tidman and Fitness Technologies included the following:
- Starting salary of $230,000;
- Incentive bonuses (e.g., totaling $70,000 in 2022);
- Stock options (approximate annual value of $125,000)
- Apple’s standard benefits
- 401(k) retirement matching (approximately $10,000 a year).
About Mandana Mofidi
READ MORE CALIFORNIA LABOR LAW LEGAL NEWS
Prior to her career at Apple, Mofidi had more than 15 years of experience as a journalist and media executive, working as a producer for outlets such as CBS News, ABC News, PBS, and a moving, personal story in the New York Times. In May 2021, Apple hired Mofidi as head of the audio division of Apple Fitness, specifically the “Senior Supervising Creative Producer-Audio in Fitness Technologies”.
The case is Mofidi v. Apple Inc. et al., case number 24STCV31770, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles.