Source: Nike / Nike
Nike has let it be known that the company will not be playing around with any of its employees who refuse to get themselves vaccinated as a protective measure for themselves and those around them during this ongoing pandemic. In fact, come this weekend, any employees who failed to get the shot will be getting a pink slip instead.
According to The Oregonian, the well-known sports apparel giant announced in October that it was implementing a company-wide mandate requiring all employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 unless they can show proof of a medical or religious exemption. And with that announcement came a deadline. Now, if employees aren’t vaccinated, they will find that on January 15, they are no longer employed with the company.
“You failed to complete the verification process and our records show that you do not have an approved (exemption),” an email reportedly sent out to all unvaccinated employees last week read. “As a result, you are not in compliance with the Policy and your employment is scheduled to be terminated on Saturday, January 15, 2022.”
So basically, Nike doesn’t give a damn about any anti-vaxxer’s feelings—either they get the shot or they go see if Reebok is hiring and less health-conscious.
And it isn’t just Nike. According to HighSnobiety, Columbia Sportswear, which, like Nike, has its headquarters in Oregon, will also be giving employees the boot if they have not complied with the company’s self-imposed vaccine mandate by February 1.
It’s worth noting that these are not government mandates. Anti-vaxxers love thumbing their noses at “big government” for implementing mandates some think are unfair and oppressive. (Some people want to be oppressed so bad they think measures to protect the public from a deadly virus is a form of fascism.) But Nike and Columbia Sportswear are privately-owned companies that have every right to make their own rules.
So if you want to work for them, you have to get vaccinated—that’s it and that’s all.
Just do it. (Y’all know I couldn’t help myself.)
Photo: Nike
