Courts / Cork / Report
Lawyers argue worker's 'tramps and whores' remark part of Apple's 'somewhat vulgar working environment'
Summary
Lawyers have argued that an alleged informal and somewhat vulgar working environment at Apple meant a worker should not have been sacked after a colleague complained about him using derogatory language. Vinicius dos Santos, a legal specialist at Apple's offices in Cork, was sacked for gross misconduct after a colleague, Robertha Abreu, complained about his inappropriate remarks. The tribunal heard that dos Santos used derogatory language towards a female contract worker, referring to her as "this thing" and "this dumb one" in Portuguese. Abreu also accused him of calling her and the contractor "tramps" and "whores" in Portuguese. Dos Santos was also accused of making a remark about "fluffy puffy" to another worker. The defense argued that the working environment was informal and that the language used was part of the culture among Portuguese speakers. The prosecution, however, argued that the language used was inappropriate and made Abreu feel uncomfortable. The case was adjourned for further evidence, with the adjudication officer stating she would hear from both dos Santos and Abreu in the next hearing.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Lawyers argue worker's 'tramps and whores' remark part of Apple's 'somewhat vulgar working environment'. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- December 2024 Other
- July 2024 Incident
- September 2024 Other
- 2026-02-11 Publication
Case subjects
Applicant
Outcome: Adjudication officer Úna Glazier-Farmer has adjourned the case and said she would hear the evidence of Mr Dos Santos and Ms Abreu on the next scheduled hearing date.
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