Nike is one of the top athletic retailers in the world.
They sell athletic footwear, apparel, accessories, and equipment and are one of the most recognized sports brands in the world.
As of March 27, 2023, there are 250 Nike retail stores in the United States, and managers and sales associates must staff them all.
In 2022, 79,100 worked for Nike, which leads most people to believe that Nike is an excellent company to work for.
Like most jobs, there are great things about working for Nike, but there are also some downsides.
When you understand the pros and cons of working for this company, you’ll have an idea if you’ll be happy working for Nike.
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Pros of Working For Nike
Nike execs do their best to care for their team of retail workers.
The company understands that turnover can be costly, so they do their best to keep their employees happy, so they stick around.
The pros of working for Nike include the following:
1. Starting Wages
Minimum wage varies from state to state.
Georgia and Wyoming’s minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, but employers covered by FLSA must adhere to the federal minimum wage requirement of $7.25.
Washington, DC, has the highest minimum wage of $16.10, and New York’s minimum wage is $15.
Every other state falls between the highest and lowest.
Nike offers employees $15 to start, which is higher than most states in the country.
Employees who excel at the job are given raises, increasing their hourly wage.
2. Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
Everyone needs health insurance to ensure they’re covered if they get sick.
Health benefits are also essential to see the doctor, dentist, and eye doctor every year.
Employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees aren’t required to provide employees with health insurance, and employees would have to choose a plan from one of the Affordable Care Act plans.
Because Nike has more than 50 employees and over 79,100 employees work for the company, they offer medical, dental, and vision plans and offer choices and flexibility.
3. Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible spending accounts (FSA) is an employer-sponsored healthcare benefit that allows employees to set aside up to $2,850 per year to cover medical expenses on a pre-tax basis.
Nike offers Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts.
Employees can use this to pay deductibles, copays, prescription and over-the-counter medications, glasses, contacts, and many other health costs.
This is an excellent benefit because it helps cover things not covered by insurance.
4. Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Owning stocks from successful companies is great because when the company makes money, the stockholders make money too.
Nike is a very successful company, and they offer an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
The company allows employees to buy Nike stock at a discounted price so that they can earn more than the hourly wage.
5. 401K
Most people want to plan for their futures early, and 401K plans are a great way to do this.
Employees designate a portion of their paycheck to go into the 401K account to help them reach their financial goals.
Nike’s 401K Plan plan supports employees to maximize their retirement savings, and the company will contribute a percentage to your 401K account.
The money Nike adds will increase the money saved in their employees’ 401K accounts.
6. Employee Assistance Program
Everyone needs help dealing with things sometimes, and Nike understands this.
The company has an Employee Assistance Program, which provides employees and their families with help to deal with personal matters, such as mental health, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and more.
7. Nike Product Discounts
Nike employees are eligible for discounts on Nike products.
They receive discounts of up to 50 percent when they shop online and in retail stores.
This is common for many retail shops, but Nike goes the extra mile.
Employees who worked for the company for at least five years will continue getting discounts on products for the rest of their lives, even after leaving the company.
People who love the brand and Nike is their go-to for sneakers and apparel can save a lot of money using their employee discount.
Con Of Working For Nike
Working for Nike has some great benefits, but no company is perfect.
There are some downsides to working for Nike that may discourage potential employees from working for the company.
It’s essential that applicants understand the downsides of working for Nike, so they can decide if dealing with the bad aspects of the job will be worth it.
1. Standing All Day
Nike employees aren’t given desks or chairs and must stay on their feet throughout their shifts, except for scheduled breaks.
Standing all day on an 8-hour shift can be exhausting, causing employees who can’t handle it to quit.
2. Dealing With Angry Customers
Nike employees must interact with customers all day.
They help customers find the right size and bring customers the shoes they want to try on.
Unfortunately, not all customers are happy and pleasant, and employees often have to deal with rude and angry customers, making the job unbearable for some.
3. Poor Schedule Flexibility
Many part-time Nike employees have flexibility when it comes to their schedules, but many full-time employees report very little schedule flexibility.
4. Busy Seasons
Nike stores get very busy during the back-to-school shopping and Christmas seasons.
It’s not uncommon for many customers to be in the store looking for help from an associate, and this can be hard when there are only so many associates on the floor, which makes the job stressful.
Also, impatient customers can get angry if they aren’t helped quickly, often taking their frustration out on the associates.
5. Downtime
Employees have downtime when the store isn’t busy, and the back room has been cleaned and organized.
Some don’t mind having nothing to do, but it can make for a long and tedious workday for others.
Most stores will pick up throughout the day, but employees who must stay busy constantly only remain with the company for a short time.
6. Poor Work-Life Balance
Part-time associates must keep 36 hours open a week, and many must work weekends.
Employees working their way through college won’t have the time they need for their studies, and parents won’t have as much time as they hope to spend with their families.
Anyone looking for a flexible schedule that will allow them to do other things may not like working for Nike.
7. Advancement Can Be Tricky
Employees who love working for the company and would like to advance to a management position may have trouble due to the requirements.
To become a Nike store manager, applicants must have a Bachelor’s Degree and three years of retail experience.
Those without a degree can be promoted to manager if they have four years of retail experience.
Associates who don’t want to wait that long won’t have a chance to be a manager.
Finally, managers must be available to work weekends, evenings, and holidays when needed.
Employees with families or other responsibilities often cannot work these hours, making moving on to a management position impossible.
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Nike – Summary Table
| Pros of Working For Nike | Con Of Working For Nike |
|---|---|
| 1. Starting Wages | 1. Standing All Day |
| 2. Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage | 2. Dealing With Angry Customers |
| 3. Flexible Spending Accounts | 3. Poor Schedule Flexibility |
| 4. Employee Stock Purchase Plan | 4. Busy Seasons |
| 5. 401K | 5. Downtime |
| 6. Employee Assistance Program | 6. Poor Work-Life Balance |
| 7. Nike Product Discounts | 7. Advancement Can Be Tricky |
Should You Work For Nike?
Nike offers many benefits that employees need, such as health, medical, and vision benefits and 401K.
The stock options are also an excellent benefit, and Nike pays more than the minimum wage in most states.
Nike employees are required to stand on their feet all day and, at times, deal with angry customers.
Also, the schedule is up to the manager, and employees often cannot find a work-life balance due to their schedules.
Overall, you should seriously consider working for Nike.
If you can deal with the occasional angry customer and work well under pressure, Nike is an excellent company to work for.
The company provides benefits you won’t get from other companies, proving they care for their employees’ futures and well-being based on the many benefits offered.
If you are okay with working hard when the store is busy and barely working when it’s not, you’ll be an excellent fit for this job, as long as you don’t need a flexible schedule.
If you like the job and stay with Nike for at least five years, you’ll receive a lifetime employee discount.
Most employers offer an employee discount only to employees who currently work for the company, but Nike continues the discount for their former employees’ lives.
