According to a new report, Nike plans to start firing unvaccinated workers this weekend.
In October, the mega sports and apparel brand officially put its vaccine mandate in place. And this week, the company announced that staff members who arenāt vaccinated or have not received a religious exemption would be terminated this coming Saturday, per a report from The Oregonian.
In an email, Nike wrote: āYou failed to complete the verification process and our records show that you do not have an approved (exemption).ā It continued, saying that as a result of not being vaccinated, āyou are not in compliance with the Policy and your employment is scheduled to be terminated on Saturday, January 15, 2022.ā
A new return date for employees has yet to be planned, following the previously canceled Jan. 10 date.
Last month, Nike CEO John Donahue mentioned a āhybrid modelā approach for staff during an earnings call last month. āWe do believe over time that with innovation and a strong brand, we want to go to a hybrid model. āAs you know, in the United States, we have mandated vaccines and have a very high response rate to that. So weāre ready to come back in a hybrid work environment when thatās safe,ā said Donahue. At least 120 Nike workers have spoken out against the companyās mandate.