We used to have a good work/life balance. Now, overworking is glamorized, to the point where your whole life revolves around your job. Those who can fully adapt to that lifestyle are doing fine. But for most of us, especially those with families, it’s not sustainable.
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Cool story you have the the boundaries to say no. Clearly you don’t understand coercion. You say no, don’t go, and are excluded from future conversations and promotions is also a form of harassment.
The way you speak sounds like you’re talking down to people who aren’t as strong as you, which lets me know you’re also part of the problem. Not every employee feels comfortable (or is supported) to say no when pressured, report their managers / teammates, or speak up in these situations,
@2xlo+1uNUX3lf - I didn’t mention harassment because that wasn’t the topic of OP. I can tell you that no one would ever force me to a strip club and you do have a choice not to go and report it. As a long time employee myself, I have never let anyone put me in a situation I wasn’t comfortable with and I’ve always spoke up. They got shown the door and not me. I’m not stating that’s the case for everyone but no one forces you in a car and to enter a strip club. It’s work, not trafficking.
I stand by my statements of clear goals and expectations of the team and yourself for the week, month and quarter is critical to ensure we’re working on what we should be working on in the right time. I will not work an extra 10hrs a week and go 55+ hours because I have a disorganized panicked coworker. I will work with them to prioritize their work to help build that skill but no one benefits working in a disorganized environment.
It was limited to a small group of leaders and teams, but it was definitely not the ‘norm.’ Having worked at Nike for several decades, I haven’t heard of anyone I know being affected by it. If it were truly the norm, that wouldn’t be the case. That said, it was good we cracked down on it.
@3keq+1uNUX3lf Having worked at other companies, more common, more overt. Definitely blatant s-xism. from comments on appearance, to being hit on by people you thought were mentors and interested in your career, to then ghosted after turning them down, and yes, team outings that ended at the strip club where you ended up out of the conversations the following weeks if you didn’t tag along…, So many lawsuits against Nike on this type of behavior , just google it. It is by far and wide more than other companies.
@3wks+1uNUX3lf Care to share more details since we’re in a safe space of anonymity here? What made s-xual harassment so common? Any personal anecdotes about how this was a regular occurrence, more than at other companies?
@3dve+1uNUX3lf The s-xual harassment was a norm absolutely. The petition didn’t cover half of it
It’s funny how people think s-xual harassment and visiting strip clubs were a norm at Nike, rather than an extremely rare exception.
@fwy+1uNUX3lf “Before Covid Nike was fair”… you you are saying WLB was worth the s-xual harassment? I don’t consider having to go to strip clubs with my team a good WLB.
While I don’t agree working 12 hour days is sustainable (or necessary) We need people to pick up the slack, and there are a lot of slackers. The number of people I know who work 5-6 hours a day is insane.
If you can’t hack it, I hate to say but there are a lot of hungry, talented employees who were just let go, would likely love your job, given the current job market, would be willing to double down to land it.
Work smarter, and focus on the positive.
My director brags about working on the toilet with their laptop during a stomach flu as if it’s parable.
This is Nike’s caliber; leaders who promote dysfunction.
Exactly. The work-life balance that once made Nike a great place to work has completely disappeared. Now, it's all about overworking, and it’s practically celebrated, as if grinding yourself into the ground is some kind of badge of honor. If you’re not willing to let your entire life revolve around the job, you’re left behind. Sure, the few who can live and breathe work are managing, but for the rest of us—especially those with families or any kind of personal life—it’s just not sustainable. Burnout is inevitable, and the expectation to sacrifice everything for the company is exhausting. The pressure is constant, and it’s only getting worse.
Have you ever worked at another major corporation? I came to Nike from a company that micro-managed the h3ll out of its employees and still has/had old fashioned values. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Well, we have so many new people that have come in the past few years from turnover, they don’t understand what Nike was like before Covid. Before Covid, Nike was fair in many areas when it came to work life balance but the RTO has been a focus this year making it worse.
I’m also a firm believer that work/life balance is a skill and a choice and one I had to learn myself. It took losing someone in my life and experiencing grief to prioritize my well being.
I prioritized my work and made sure I was working on what I should be working on and that takes a relationship with your boss and your team. With that said, leaders need to have clear goals and focus and the rest falls into place.