Mega company Nike has closed its corporate offices to give employees a week off to prioritize their mental health.
The pandemic has brought mental health to the forefront of many conversations, including its impact on the workforce.
This has prompted Nike senior manager of global marketing science Matt Marrazzo to announce on LinkedIn the companies plan for employees.
Marrrazo wrote on LinkedIn: “Nike HQ is also 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…” “In a year (or two) unlike any other, taking time for rest and recovery is key to performing well and staying sane. This past year has been rough… 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.”
Nike will return to office in next week in September. By then, employees will be introduced to a hybrid work model that allows them to work remotely up to two days a week.
This mental health break is for corporate employees and not retail workers.
This is awesome! Nike has closed its offices for one week to give their employees a break and emphasize mental health. More companies need to do things like this. It’s beneficial in the long run for all of us. #mentalhealthmatters pic.twitter.com/zaU8v0WKXk
— Healthy Foundation (@TheHealthyFC) August 26, 2021
Nike isn’t the only company to give workers a mental health week.
In June, dating company Bumble announced a fully paid, office closure for a week to give staff the opportunity to focus on mental wellbeing.
HubSpot, a software marketing company also announced its ‘Global Week of Rest’ from the 5 – 9 of July. The company also now offer mental health awareness sessions which helps employees undergo managing stress at work.
Rumor has it @nike is letting corporate take a week off for mental health. Love this.
Hey, other companies #justdoit— Tasha Jackson (@TashaJacksTweet) August 27, 2021
A study by the World Health Organisation found that an estimated 398,000 and 347,000 people died from a stroke and heart disease respectively in 2016.
Post pandemic, we can hope initiatives such as mental health weeks and a work from home situations will allow for more healthier workplaces.
With huge companies like Nike prioritising the mental health of their staff, this may set the wheels in motion for more companies to follow suit.
