Nike Contractor Celebrates Another Workaversary Without Benefits
Amelia Hutchinson celebrated her four-year anniversary as a Nike contractor on Wednesday. Despite being greeted with celebratory cupcakes brought in by her boss, the 27-year-old Global Football product manager couldn’t help but feel disdain. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” she said haltingly through bites of cupcake. “I’m honored to be a part of one of the world’s most influential and valuable companies. It’s just that I haven’t been to the dentist since I got kicked off my parents’ health insurance plan last year, and my knee has been hurting really bad for a few months now.” She took a long pause, choosing her words carefully. “I was hoping to be given a Black Badge as a holiday bonus, not these three extra employee store passes.“
The Black Badge referenced by Hutchinson refers to the divide between contractors and employees at Nike. Full time employees receive the infamous Black Badge, and with that comes a generous comprehensive benefits package, not to mention increased job security. To get a better sense of this socioeconomic divide between the two categories of worker, we caught up with Nike VP of Human Resources Monique Matheson.
“Our contractors are given competitive pay,” she said matter-of-factly. “We foster a culture that emphasizes fitness and self-care, so we see no need for our contractors, many of whom are young and spry, to receive health insurance. They’re fine.” She leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Look I’m going to put it bluntly. In order to remain competitive, we must remain lean and agile. It’s just like Alberto Salazar’s running team – at Nike, there’s always fat to cut.“