Image via Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com
Even if it feels as if your work routines haven’t changed too much during the pandemic, you might have been in a bit of a slump. That’s expected, according to Nike. Acknowledging that fitness doesn’t just encapsulate physical wellbeing, the sportswear giant is closing its corporate offices the whole of this week so employees can take a well-needed mental health break.
Addressing the plan, which will see corporate employees being paid this week for getting proper rest, Nike senior manager Matt Marrazzo penned in a
LinkedIn post, “Our senior leaders are all sending a clear message: Take the time to unwind, destress and spend time with your loved ones. Do not work.”
Marrazzo shared that having time off to recuperate is “key to performing well and staying sane,” elaborating: “This past year has been rough—we’re all human! And living through a traumatic event!”
Going against the grain of companies that have yet to embrace productive lifestyles at home, Marrazzo said that Nike is accepting that “we can prioritize mental health and still get work done.”
Echoing Marrazzo’s statement, an anonymous Nike employee shared with Portland news outlet
KGW News that this paid week is “not only a chance to recharge and keep us together, but also a thank-you for an impressive year.”
This comes ahead of Nike’s office reopening plans in September, where it has decided to adopt a hybrid layout consisting of up to two remote days a week.
Nike’s stores will still be up and running, as the scheme doesn’t affect retail staff. Hopefully, they’ll soon get their dues too.
[via
New York Post, cover image via
Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com]