Nike Is Reportedly Firing Some Unvaccinated Corporate Employees This Weekend
Employees who are not vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons are exempt.
According to a report by OregonLive, Nike has intentions of firing employees who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine starting this weekend on January 15, 2022. Those who have not been vaccinated because of either medical or religious reasons have been exempt.
The Swoosh team reportedly sent out an email to Beaverton-based associates whom did not meet the company’s December 1, 2021 vaccination deadline, and the email stated, “You failed to complete the verification process and our records show that you do not have an approved (exemption). As a result, you are not in compliance with the Policy and your employment is scheduled to be terminated on Saturday, January 15, 2022.”
January 10, 2022 was the initial target date for employees to return to the office and work on a hybrid-type schedule, but with the highly-contagious Omicron variant starting to surge in various parts of the country and the globe, this date has been postponed indefinitely. Despite the fact that legal obstacles have prevented the government from issuing any COVID-19-related mandates, imprints like Nike still have the ability to implement mandatory policies for its employees.
Moreover, Columbia Sportswear — another apparel brand that’s also based in Oregon is expected to follow suit and take similar action beginning February 1 according to the aforementioned report. Nike and Columbia have not made any official statements regarding this matter.
