I don't work at Nike (well technically they're at Converse) and my friend is remote being asked to travel to their office in Boston but has to pay for it. I've never heard of anyone having to go to an office or other office location and pay for travel. Does Nike/Converse not have a travel policy? Do they only have like 3 remote employees and didn't think this through? This is all bizarre to me from a professional standpoint. At my company they even allow a French guy to expense wine with his meals when he travels, let alone the flight and hotel.
9 replies (most recent on top)
This happens in SEC… people who moved away during the pandemic or got hired remotely during that time are asked to travel on their own dime.
The kicker? The overpriced Accenture consultants are also asked to travel… but they get to do it on Nikes dime. 🙄 what a joke this place is.
Nike does not have a commuter policy. This is well known and anyone can connect with HR Direct if you can’t find the wording on it through Zero.
Because of this policy even Nike execs (VP and C-level) who do not live near offices pay for their own commuting expenses when they travel to the offices. They rent apartments in Portland bc it’s cheaper than hotels. They pay their own flights as well. It is not an extremely common policy, but it is actually more common than you may think. It is not a new policy either, we have had it for many years and has with nothing to do with budgets.
Was your friend hired externally for the position? Are they an existing employee who was chosen for the kickstart stretch assignment ?
The existing employees should have their travel covered at least.
Did their boss explicitly say: “you have to pay for this”?
Unless this ISN’T a true remote position, their travel should be covered. It might be that their boss doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Nike Travel should be able to book a flight and hotel for them. If this travel is for the conference in June, Nike Travel handled it, AND there is a remote option.
My friend thinks your friend didn’t ready the fine print
Just because they were hired during a time when everyone was remote. Does not make them in the remote pilot. My guess is your friend missed the fact that the job was in Boston. Or their manager is a complete id--t.....
Friend is in the remote program, was hired remote. Not someone who just decided to move during covid or something. Sadly I think the poster who said it's a budget thing may be the actual reason, but that was never discussed during the hiring process for them. I'd imagine something like that would stand out to someone "hey you have to potentially fly out 3 hours to Boston. By the way you have to pay if that's cool" ....very weird policy you all have.
I have to fund my weekly commutes, why should it be any different for your friend?
It is because of all the red tape Nike has for approving of travel. I am a remote person for Nike (actually in the pilot and not just doing it on my own) and was told at the start of the pilot I would be expected to travel back to campus four times a year and more at my bosses discretion. Well, the reality is they didn't set aside any extra T&E in my dept budget even though we are all remote so if we want to travel the same red tape exist as if we were going to a conference and has to come out of that same budget.
Last time I traveled I got them to partially fund it but had to pick up the rest myself. Wasn't a huge deal but still extremely annoying. Nike doesn't seem to really care about remote workers and the "pilot" is pretty much dead.
Only specific roles for a small fraction of the employee base at Nike are approved for remote work. Employees who relocated away from an office during the pandemic without being part of the remote work program or who were hired during the pandemic and didn't relocate after the temporary pandemic work from home period ended, can only stay employed at Nike if they self fund travel to their official office location. Sounds like your friend may have been working remotely unofficially and finlly got caught. Nike isn't a remote workplace for the most part.