Nike among other large companies to close their offices for mental health breaks
Corporations are continuing to consider their employees mental health as COVID-19 is still hindering the American workforce.
Athletic retail giant Nike recently closed its corporate offices to give its employees a paid, week-long mental health break heading into the fourth quarter.
Matt Marrazzo, a senior manager at Nike confirmed the break in a LinkedIn. “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,” he wrote. “It’s not just a ‘week off’ for the team … It’s an acknowledgment that we can prioritize mental health and still get work done.”
“It’s times like this that I’m so grateful to be a part of this team. In a year (or two) unlike any other, taking time for rest and recovery is key to performing well and staying sane,” Marrazzo added. “This past year has been rough — we’re all human! and living through a traumatic event! — but I’m hopeful that the empathy and grace we continue to show our teammates will have a positive impact on the culture of work moving forward.”
Another employee who wanted to remain anonymous told Portland-based KGW News, "It's not only a chance to recharge and keep us together, but also a thank you for an impressive year." The company’s stock had risen over 18 percent since the beginning of the 2021.
Unfortunately, the week off for employees was not offered to Nike’s retail employees. According to KGW, Nike’s stores remained open during the week the break was taken by corporate staffers.
Employees of the Beaverton, Oregon billion-dollar shoe brand returned to Nike’s headquarters this month in a hybrid work model that allows employees to work remotely up to two days a week. Nike announced its plans for the return to office in May, despite the COVID-19 Delta variant.
The pandemic has clearly changed the way Americans work. A study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) found, “Long working hours led to 745,000 deaths from stroke and ischemic heart disease in 2016, a 29% increase since 2000.” The number of strokes and heart disease resulted from working “at least 55 hours a week.”
Other large corporations — such as Microsoft, Intel, and Linkedin are aware of the fatigue and have adjusted accordingly.
At Intel, employees can either take a four-week sabbatical after four years or wait and take an eight-week sabbatical after seven years, KGW reports. Workers are also eligible to take an additional 12 hours off for each half of 2021.
Microsoft has added five "wellbeing days" to their paid time-off benefits globally to help employees prioritize their health and LinkedIn, provided its workers an extra paid week off in April. Teuila Hanson, LinkedIn's chief people officer said, “We wanted to make sure we could give them something really valuable, and what we think is most valuable right now is time for all of us to collectively walk away. I think the reality of the weight of the pandemic really took its toll during those months. That was a heavy time. That is when we were seeing: 'wow there is clear burnout.'"
Written By Christopher Harris