Thread regarding Nike Inc. layoffs

I don't see how anyone can expect leadership to know exactly what everyone will be doing before executing the reorg. It makes complete sense that they'd start at the top and then see how things play out before deciding who is the best fit at the rank and file level.

Yes, it really s—s if you're one of the many who have to wait months to find out if you still have a job, or not. Keeping motivated and focused on your work is going to be extremely difficult. However, you have the luxury of having a lot of time to get your own ducks in a row in case you need to jump ship (which you should honestly be doing regardless of reorgs happening).

The best advice I ever got at Nike was someone telling me you can't wait for Nike to take care of you because it will never happen. You have to figure out what you want.

@1dsr - “making hard decisions?” Oh I bet. Really hard. This BS comment is repeated in all the leadership emails... let’s face it, the ELT couldn’t really care less. Sure, they will have their golf buddies etc, but don’t worry, we still have several hundred VPs, so those individuals have clearly been magically spared.

Why has nobody at that top layer of the org been removed? Let’s face it, there are some highly questionable folk there... if you are changing the path of the company you surely have the change the upper tier?

OP is spot on. Extremely insensitive to your employees to announce the plan first– even more so when you're not transparent about just how many people (a lot) will be affected. If you're really "putting people at the center" as JD says, you execute a reorganization of this magnitude first and explain the rationale for it later. The approach JD and the ELT took has caused unnecessary anxiety on almost every corporate employee, regardless of whether they have a job when it's all over.

how were people fired this time? Anybody know?

Email, put them in a auditorium and tell them to get the hell out, power point? All of them been used by Nike before.

Does anyone know?

Couldn’t disagree more with the first comment. This is the best reorg we’ve had to date with a leader who is making extremely hard decisions. I appreciate the direct and open lines of communication.

Couldn’t disagree more with announcing them early. I would rather have relatively quick and decisive action that the months/years long rumor mill that came with prior layoffs.

See hashtags at the botton of this note... I am recycling this post, it may be useful here:

Here is a collection of previous posts on this topic:

WARN requires 60 notice or 60 days pay in lieu of notice

Post Link: @2RUr+CY1FLuD

I am receiving the 60 days pay plus health insurance in lieu of notice.

Post Link: @41pU+BMpdmxF

If the company designates that severance benefits are made in lieu of WARN notice, then unemployment benefits may be delayed for up to 60 days.

Post Link: @sXo+EvjOYJr

File today. If you sign an agreement that severance was paid in lieu of notice, then benefits may be delayed 60 days. The April agreement did not say that severance was in lieu of notice and people collected beginning the first full week they were unemployed.

Post Link: @hJr+EvjOYJr

By law they're required to give employees 60 day notice of layoffs. By paying us 8 weeks, they get around this law. It's called pay in lieu of notice. It's not them being compassionate, it's just them avoided lawsuits.

Post Link: @Amt+DHPvAuK

They can give you a 60 day severance payment in lieu of the notice. That's why people get 8 week severance, in that case they do not want to file anything.

Post Link: @5mk+EgNNESF

60 day notice - Will there be a 60 day notice for laid off employees? Will the employee be paid for those 60 days in addition to the severance?

Post Link: @OP+FxAOzPj

#WARN #SixtyDays #SixtyDaysNotice

@enc+166u0xx1 No need for a warn notice if they are giving the worker a 60 day severance

See this: #sixtydaynotice

if you work for nike in the usa it's at will employment. no union protections. easy come easy go. the corporate world is ruthless so sudden termination is always something prudent to keep in mind, never know when it'll come so best to be prepared and have a plan b

Oh, @1xlr+166u0xx1, you are adorable. HR and Comms have to clean up this thread under orders from their superiors. When they're done with you. You'll be put out to pasture too.

How is Nigel Powell still on the payroll. Covered up dirt on Edwards and Parker for years. I thought JD was clean Gene? Who needs Powell?

Funny how many people are just learning about the laws around reporting layoffs. This is why it's a lot harder to just lay people off in other countries. Their workers are a lot more educated and exercise their power to make sure this stuff doesn't happen.

I can think of another possibility 1rix. A possibility that’s a little less conspiracy-minded:

Maybe people just don’t want to keep reading your spam??

It's hilarious to watch these NIKE goons forced by their bosses to dislike comments in this thread! And attempt to get TheLayoff.com to remove comments NIKE doesn't approve of.

I think @enc is correct. It’s called the “WARN” act. I just Googled it. It’s complicated but he/she is basically correct. Large companies have to provide some amount of prior notice if they are laying off a certain number of people over a certain number of days.

@enc+166u0xx1 I don't think that's true. They didn't give nearly that amount of heads up broadly in 2017 to those impacted.

OP, you should brush up on labor laws. Nike didn’t announce these layoffs early just for the fun of it. They announced these layoffs early because, for large companies like Nike, it’s a legal requirement that they provide employees with a certain amount of advance notice. I don’t recall the specifics but I think if a company of Nike’s size is having a significant layoff event they are required to provide employees with either a 60 or 90 day advance notice.

Like many I would also prefer that Nike just get this over as quick as possible. But the dreaded wait is not due to incompetence or ill intent. It’s simply due to the fact that America has employment laws. Weak as those laws might be.

Executive VP of Communication Nigel Powell (C Suite) should be relieved of his duties. Self serving, egotist who hides behind his staff and has them do the dirty work while he kicks back in his marble palace.