After 25 years I chose to leave. I informally reported a hostile environment twice and then formally reported retaliation, discrimination and a toxic work environment using the proper channels that HR offers.
As a result I was impacted to the extent of needing to take a LOA. My manager remained protected through all of it! The investigators told each person that he interviewed that I filed the complaint and told them who I filed the complaint against. Speaking up came with a price to pay. How did that make the witnesses feel? Would you ever report anything again when you see what someone got away with just because if who they report to. My boss was oddly close to her boss - if I didn’t know better I would say they had a thing. It became a joke.
While I was on sabbatical I came back to retaliation that was so obvious a 10 year old could see it. An intentional overload of work, peers being promoted for no reason, direct reports promoted leaving me with less support and increased workload, rules that applied to me didn’t apply to others, a PAP that included backdated examples as far as months prior some fabricated examples and a final warning that couldn’t be validated. My manager continued to discriminate, retaliate and created a hostile work environment. Suddenly I had negative reviews just months after I informally met with HR. Was this all a coincidence? No! I was a high performer and I know what everyone in the org would say. The downfall is that my boss is so tight with her boss and our HRBP at the time that I didn’t stand a chance. Abusing your position and power seems like the norm. I requested my personnel file and they ironically left items out.
I won’t stay silent and I will tell my story because after dedicating 25 years of my life to that place I want YOU to know that Nike doesn’t care about you. It’s a job! If you left tomorrow they would simply replace you. HR and Legal aren’t there to protect you and speaking up only made things worse for me. For those of you that are being discriminated against, retaliated against or working in a toxic environment as a result of speaking up, document everything and protect yourself. Actively look for work and don’t give up. Use the FMLA resources if you are being impacted in a way that affects your health. It’s not ok but unfortunately you are simply identified by the number on your badge. When VPs support this type of leadership, teams crumble and lose credibility. Be part of the solution and get out. I didn’t leave my job, I left a toxic egotistical leader who got away with what she did up to this point because the VP that she reports to made her behavior acceptable.
You deserve to work in a healthy environment. No matter where you go there will be give and take. When you can see the lack of integrity and morals amongst leaders and VPs that you “should” be looking up to and your health is impacted - it’s time to get real and leave. There is life outside of the berm. Don’t let the fear allow you to settle.
Know your rights and know your resources (EEOC, EAP, LOA etc.) but more importantly know that you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect surrounded by people with integrity and morals.
If you are happy at Nike that’s great. If you have a similar story I would love to hear it.