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Nike has scrapped a major workplace wellbeing perk, informing employees that they will no longer receive a full week to unwind and focus on their mental health.
Under the company’s ‘Wellness Week’ initiative, first introduced in 2021, staff were previously given five days off in August to recharge.
Explaining the change, Chief People Officer Treasure Heinle told her employees this week that today’s operating conditions are “very different” from a few years ago, calling on the company to “get back to winning.”
What was Nike’s annual ‘Wellness Week’?
In 2021, Nike became one of many employers, including Spotify, LinkedIn, Bumble, and Hootsuite, to introduce a wellness week.
The measure was designed to relieve staff amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a combination of lockdowns, isolation, and other stress factors leading to a surge in mental health issues.
According to a 2022 study by the World Health Organization (WHO), the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% during the first year of the pandemic alone.
Matt Marrazzo, then head of insights at Nike, posted on LinkedIn in 2021: “Nike HQ is powering down for a full week off starting next Monday. 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.”
After initial success, the shutdown was repeated in 2022. Monique Matheson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Nike – who will retire at the end of this year – wrote on LinkedIn confirming it would take place once again, noting that wellbeing has “always been at the core of who we are and what we do.”
Nike CHRO on ‘magic’ scheme
In 2023, Matheson posted once again about the success of the policy. “I love that Nike has made this a tradition,” outlining two core benefits of the perk.
“The first is that rare chance to truly unplug – it’s priceless,” she wrote.
“The second – and we’ve witnessed this the past two years upon our return from Well-Being Week – is the magic that happens when the team comes back together and every one of us is rested and refreshed. There’s an energy – an electricity – to the work, that reinforces that when we are well, we can give our best to each other and to NIKE.”
Marrazzo echoed her glowing review of Nike’s wellness week.
“In the burnout era, proper rest and recovery is the key to performing at your best - both in and out of the office,” he added. “Thankful that our teams have the gift of a week unplugged to spend with our loved ones.”
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Why Nike axed ‘priceless’ wellbeing measure
Despite positive feedback, Nike has now scrapped the Wellness Week perk, as first reported by Bloomberg News.
Heinle told employees the company is at a “pivotal moment” and must rethink “how we work, how we collaborate, and how we operate as a team.”
“Today is very different than a few years ago,” the Chief People Officer said. “And that’s why we’re making this change.”
“We need to continue to show up and deliver with a sharp focus so we can get back to winning,” Heinle added.
It comes amid reorganization efforts at Nike, following the appointment of former company president Elliot Hill to the chief exec role.
Hill has led a restructuring of management and teams across Nike as he attempts to refocus Nike on sports such as running and basketball.
