Apple is one of several big-name technology companies seeking to avert legal action by the US government over allegations that the firms secretly agreed not to hire each others’ employees.
Google, Adobe, Intuit and Pixar are also cited in reports by the Wall Street Journal and news agencies, which claim that the companies sought to hold down salaries by restricting recruitment.
The Department of Justice is investigating whether, by agreeing no to poach other the other firms’s employees, the companies avoided having to pay higher salaries to retain staff and whether this is an illegal form of price fixing.
According to the Associated Press, the companies have argued that the agreement fostered innovation by enabling them to work together and, although it prevented poaching, there was no ban on employing staff who actively applied for a post.
