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02nd Sep 2021

Nike has given staff a week off as a “mental health break”

Ellen Fitzpatrick

They’re not the only company to make this change.

Nike has made a big change in their workers time off, giving employees a week off from their jobs as a break after the pandemic.

Employees based in the Oregon head office in the US were told to leave any work they may have until the following week and head home to “destress”.

Giving an extra week off, Nike is aiming to help improve their mental health and allow employees to take time to themselves.

Posting a message to staff on LinkedIn, Matt Marrazzo, Nike’s senior manager of global marketing science, said: “In a year (or two) unlike any other, taking time for rest and recovery is key to performing well and staying sane.

“Take the time to unwind, destress and spend time with your loved ones. Do not work.

“It’s not just a ‘week off’ for the team … it’s an acknowledgement that we can prioritise mental health and still get work done.”

Nike isn’t the first major brand to look into ways to tackle burnout since the pandemic began, with Bumble also offering staff an extra week of paid leave back in June.

This comes after a number of people from a range of different industries reported that they were suffering from “pandemic burnout”, feeling the toll the constant lockdowns had taken on them.

A study in Forbes showed that burnout in America was at a critical level, with over half of those involved in the study saying they had experienced burnout, and 80% of them associated it directly with the Covid-19 pandemic as a direct result.