Nike Delays Employee Return to Beaverton Campus Until at Least November

Workers were originally supposed to return part time in September.

NikeProtest-WesleyLapointe-4607-15 Nike employees protest abusive practices toward runners in 2019. (Wesley Lapointe)
By Sophie Peel

Sources tell WW that Nike, Oregon’s flagship company, has delayed requiring the part-time return of employees to its Beaverton campus due to the surge in Delta variant cases of COVID-19.

The company initially set the return date for Sept. 1, but has since announced that date would be pushed back.

CEO John Donahoe sent an email to employees on Aug. 18 addressing the delay.

“For our Nike, Jordan and Converse corporate employees, we will not be reopening our World Headquarters or other [campuses] or offices during September and October,” Donahoe wrote. “For all employees, we will share a more comprehensive communication about our future plans in September.”

He added that “the COVID situation remains very dynamic across the world. We continue to prioritize the health and safety of our teammates and partners.” (He noted that the distribution center and retail store employees continue to work: “We thank and honor them for their remarkable commitment, teamwork and resilience.”)

Workers at Nike, who spoke to WW on condition of anonymity, say the Beaverton sportswear giant has issued no announcement of a vaccine mandate for its employees.

Nike did not respond to WW’s requests for comment.

Its silence on the matter is particularly surprising in light of Intel, Oregon’s largest private employer, offering monetary bonuses to employees in August for getting the vaccine.

On Aug. 30, the city of Portland announced a vaccine mandate for all city employees—one of only a handful of cities that have made such a move.

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