Corporate employees have the option of taking time off this week in advance before returning to the office.
Photo: Stephanie Keith / Getty Images
Global footwear and apparel company Nike is promoting the mental health of its employees and decided to close its corporate offices for a week so that workers can “enjoy additional free time to rest and recuperate.”, according to a statement.
The move has been celebrated by those who work at the company, which is based near Beaverton in Oregon.
Matt Marrazzo, a senior manager at Nike, posted on his LinkedIn page “It’s not just a bye week for the team … It’s an acknowledgment that we can prioritize mental health and keep working.”
In 2019, the World Health Organization recognized burnout in the workplace as a “work phenomenon”. It was the first time that the world health body directly linked exhaustion in its classifications of diseases as an occupational risk. It also meant that workers could seek medical help for something other than an illness or health condition.
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Intel and Microsoft also offer paid time off
During 2020 and 2021, companies began to put more emphasis on the mental health of employees by giving them more time off.
At Intel, Oregon’s largest private sector employer, employees can take four weeks sabbatical after four years or wait and take eight weeks sabbatical after seven years. The company has also started offering an additional 12 hours off for each half of 2021.
For its part, Microsoft said it has added five “wellness days” to its worldwide paid time off benefits to help employees prioritize their health.
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