Recently, an internal letter from Nike Greater China leaked, sparking heated debate among netizens as it unveiled a “new hybrid work model.” Some netizens interpreted this as “Nike Greater China announcing a four-day workweek.”
According to The Paper’s report on October 23rd, in response to the rumors of “Nike Greater China implementing a four-day workweek,” a representative from Nike Greater China stated, “Traditionally, our office employees have followed a five-day workweek. The new hybrid model means office staff work in the office from Monday to Thursday, but they can choose to work from home on Fridays.”
On October 22nd, some media outlets reported that Nike’s internal letter indicated a new work regime starting on January 8, 2024, termed “work 4, rest 3.” Compensation and benefits remain unaffected, but this only applies to office staff.
The report further added that this is a pilot project Nike is exploring on a global scale. After the pandemic, Nike believes that employees need more flexibility and autonomy to adapt to the constantly changing market and client demands. With this hybrid work approach, Nike hopes to strike a balance between work and personal life, inspire potential and innovation, while maintaining close contact with colleagues and customers.
According to Nike’s Q1 2024 financial report released on September 29th, the company achieved revenues of $12.9 billion (approximately 941.89 billion RMB), a 2% increase year-on-year.
It’s worth noting that several companies have announced the adoption of a four-day workweek this year.
On June 2nd, the news that “Zhang Xuefeng’s company will implement work 4, rest 3” trended and drew attention. Reports suggest that on May 31st in Suzhou, Jiangsu, the company announced a “work 2, rest 1, work 2, rest 2, with Wednesdays off” policy, with no changes to salaries.
In a video, Zhang Xuefeng said to all employees, “Work 2, rest 1, work 2, rest 2, Wednesday off. Those who have work on Wednesday should come in, but there’s no mandatory clock-in.” The announcement was met with applause.
Later that night, Zhang Xuefeng confirmed on his official Weibo that this benefit was just one among many, and that the company also provides summer and winter holidays. Reportedly, the “work 4, rest 3” isn’t a short-term change and will be implemented in the long run.
Earlier on January 3rd, LeTV announced a new schedule where employees work four and a half days a week, with flexible half-days on Wednesdays.
According to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics, employees in China worked an average of 48.8 hours per week in September. This averages to about 6.1 days a week based on an 8-hour workday.
By the close of the stock market last Friday, Nike (NKE) stood at $102.67 with a total market value of $156.3 billion.
Tech giant Amazon has also made similar moves. According to a report from CCTV Finance citing Fortune magazine on October 20th, Amazon updated its office work guidelines, allowing managers to terminate employees who fail to report to the office for at least three days a week.
Earlier this week, Amazon’s internal guidelines instructed managers to monitor employees’ attendance closely, mandating at least three days in the office. If an employee fails to meet this minimum attendance, managers should first converse with the non-compliant employee. Continued unauthorized absences can lead to disciplinary actions, including potential termination. This is among the strictest measures Amazon has implemented in its “return to office” policy post-pandemic.