The sportswear company Nike gave its office workers a holiday to help them de-stress from life's challenges and worries caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The clothing giant gave its employees a week-long mental health break. It closed its offices from August the 23rd to the 30th so that its employees could "enjoy additional time off to rest and recover". Nike said it wanted to focus on helping to combat "burnout". Nike's senior manager of global marketing science Matt Marrazzo said: "Our senior leaders are all sending a clear message – take the time to unwind, de-stress and spend time with your loved ones. Do not work." Nike's retail stores are still open and store workers are working as usual.

Mr Marrazzo said the company was taking the lead in considering the mental health of its workers. He said: "Taking time for rest and recovery is key to performing well and staying sane. This past year has been rough. We're all human and living through a traumatic event." He added: "I'm hopeful that the empathy and grace we continue to show our team-mates will have a positive impact on the culture of work moving forward." Marrazzo said the week off was "an acknowledgment that we can prioritize mental health and still get work done". He said it was important for a company to think about its workers. He wrote: "Support your people. It's good business, but it's also the right thing to do."