Nike isn’t playing.
The Oregonian reports that the company will let go of all employees without a religious or medical exemption for the COVID-19 vaccination starting Saturday, Jan. 15. Nike has reportedly had a vaccine mandate in place for all employees since October 2021.
As one of the largest companies with headquarters in the state of Oregon, the sportswear brand has been strict when it comes to vaccine requirements.
Termination Letters
“You failed to complete the verification process and our records show that you do not have an approved (exemption),” said an email sent to a Nike employee. “As a result, you are not in compliance with the Policy, and your employment is scheduled to be terminated on Saturday, January 15, 2022.”
While Nike has a number of employees, those who would lose their job due to the mandate is speculated to be small.
According to Complex, there is a group of about 120 employees who have been vocal about rejecting the vaccine mandate online, but there is no concrete understanding of how many of them are unvaccinated and facing termination.
Nike Employees And Their Return To Work
In Oregon, Nike is one of the state’s largest employers, with close to 14,000 workers at its headquarters just outside of Beaverton. While most employees continue to work from home due to the pandemic, the company aims to get everyone back into the office once the pandemic ends.
Initially, Nike was set to begin its return to the office with a hybrid schedule on Jan. 10. However, those plans were halted due to the spike in cases and the new strains hitting the United States.
A new return date has yet to be announced.
