I know it is normal that managers cut off communication with their laid off reportees. My manager was in touch with me on a personal note all of last week after I was impacted, but is now MIA; won’t respond to my calls or texts. This is my first time being laid off (my postpartum brain isn’t helping me think straight). My manager was once my coworker at Nike and we always had a good relationship outside the office, so I am trying to understand if there has been an explicit directive by Nike leadership to not be in touch with laid off employees.
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I was impacted this round and feel the ghosting from the unimpacted. However, I get it. When you are left standing it is a whirlwind of figuring out how to do all the work that the termed folks did! They don’t publish a list of impacted employees so sometimes we didn’t know you were gone!! It’s also hard to tell the mental state of those that left, are they pi---d and disgruntled, sad, feeling lucky to have been chosen!
HR asks people managers to be careful about what they say. Even something as simple as a director/VP saying "I'm sorry" in a termination call can be misconstrued as personal culpability and turn into legal liability for wrongful termination lawsuits. Don't take it personally and, as other have said, reach out after the dust has settled
Directors and managers weren't decision makers so they're probably just as upset with the decisions are you are. Unfortunately, they can't complain to you for fear of getting themselves in trouble with Nike. They may also have survivor's guilt and don't know if you'd want to see or talk to them.
Managers are not encouraged to keep in contact. You have to remember it is also a liability to the company if they reach back out and then conversation turns to work because you don't work there anymore. It's also sometimes uncomfortable from their perspective because they don't want to assume the emotions of the employee. If your relationship was simply work then disconnecting is fine. Unless you hung out after work then I would say give it time for things to settle. Let them know you want to connect they are probably giving you space not ignoring you or taking it personal. As someone who has had to do these conversations in the past, managers probably take it too hard sometimes and you don't know how hard it is to resist reaching out just out of fear of upsetting someone or making them feel worse.
@OP
If they were your “manager”, no you won’t hear from them. You don’t matter to a manager except how much work you do.
If they also went to the same church, were your golfing buddy, had bbq with you on weekends, etc…. Then you will hear from them.
There are risks to your former employer if your former manager is in touch with you about anything job-related, and that does get reiterated to management during layoffs.
We’re all just temps. ETW, FTE, black badge, white badge don’t matter. They preach teamwork and going the extra mile for one another when your of use and help hit their goals. Once they have no use for you anymore it’s like you never even existed within the company.
Some of us laid off people were holding out but have lost the last income with this and other companies layoff. It's hard to have a conversation with a previous coworker when we are in deep trouble with the economy crashing
After exiting Nike last September I can say the weirdest part was hearing from almost no one afterwards. Promises of drinks unfulfilled, emails never exchanged, just crickets. But it has less to do with Nike and more to do with the awkwardness. Sometimes people just don’t know how to respond to other people’s major life events. Also, work life is hollow. “Life” life is where your friends are.
I can confirm that there is no ask to any manager to not talk to you.
OP, if they stopped talking to you, it’s because they’re cruel and selfish. Sorry, people su-k.
There will be more examples of that coming.
And it’s legit not you OP.
Best to just move forward outside the nike ecosystem really. I knew hundreds of people over 20+ years and speak to… 4 after.
Sometimes it’s not quite as nefarious too, they might just be busy or scared they are next or or or…. lots of reasons none of which really matter.
Wishing you good things.
They likely weren’t told to ignore you. But the fact you clarified that it’s multiple calls and texts, they might just want to, or giving you space to process without feeling like your old manager needs to give you all the answers.
Like, what is there to talk about that your former manager can help with?
They never actually cared. You are just a number. This is when you realize who actually valued you as a human being. There is nothing that prevents them from being their authentic self. There isn’t a policy (I’ve asked this). Sad but true.
@ab I'd liken it to a real estate agent. Your best bud when they stand to gain a lot of money selling your house, but the minute that's done, tumbleweeds
@a9 family while they can squeeze socializing and spending money with Nike. Until it's time to cut people loose then it's just business. Nike is family like a serial ki-ler is your friend, only while it's of interest to them.
A real family would have restructured and told investors less profit was coming to them and to tighten their belts and pick up their boot straps.
All Nike propaganda is just that
None of the Sd or D's I have talked to have mentioned anything, but it could be a VP thing. I think it's just natural for people to disengage as it's uncomfortable for people as it keeps reminding them of something painful and reinforces survivor guilt.
Take the time to process the situation, try to find peace and move on. It only shows that the win as a team, ‘oh we are a family’, I am here for you BS was just a facade! Corporate is brutal. Very rear you will find some real ones but beyond that, its he-l out there. Take care.
scare tactics
they are not allowed to do this
@a1 thank you for giving me clarity. I will make peace with it somehow. It’s a let down, indeed.
I’m sorry this feels like a let down. They likely are told to disengage. My manager stopped talking to me two weeks before my layoff. It took me some time to come to terms with the fact that these folks truly were never more than coworkers. Not my friends, not trusted peers, not people that deserved negative space in my brain. When Nike drops you, they all drop you.