To ‘destress’ and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic pressure, footwear manufacturing company Nike announced that it has given its head office employees in the US a week off. The sportswear firm said that workers at its Oregon headquarters office will be ‘powering down’ until Friday.

It also said that senior leaders will be encouraging staff to ignore all work responsibilities and look after their mental health

In a LinkedIn post, the Nike senior manager of global marketing science, Matt Marrazzo, said: “Nike HQ is also powering down for a full week off starting next Monday. Our senior leaders are all sending a clear message: Take the time to unwind, destress and spend time with your loved ones. Do not work.”

“In a year (or two) unlike any other, taking time for rest and recovery is key to performing well and staying sane,” the open message further added.

Marrazzo did not fail to acknowledge that the year has been rough and that the staff should recognise that “we’re all human” and living through a traumatic event.

“It’s not just a “week off” for the team… it’s an acknowledgment that we can prioritize mental health and still get work done. Support your people. It’s good business but it’s also the right thing to do,” the Nike official added.

With this, Nike adds itself to the growing list of companies that are offering employees to take time off to fight the burnout caused by working from home and constant video calls blurring the line between private and personal lives.

Earlier in the year, dating app Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd announced that the company will be giving her 700 employees an extra week of paid leave to destress and switch off in June.

This announcement was made on the heels of investment bank Citigroup banning all work video calls on Fridays to assist employees from the “relentlessness of the pandemic workday” in March.