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‘THE DISCOUNT IS NOT WORTH THE EMOTIONAL DAMAGE’: 25 Nike employees allegedly quit after manager says they’re replaceable

The TikToker says management begged them to stay.

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Braden Bjella

nike factory store with caption '25 of us quitting that week. managers begging us to stay' (l) woman folding nike shirt with caption 'managers: whoever quits are quitters everyone's replaceable' (c) TeamNike lanyard (r)

A TikToker went viral this week after claiming her Utah-based Nike Factory Store managers told her and the rest of the staff they were replaceable. In response, user Nikki (@nikkidavis020) says she quit along with 24 other co-workers, resulting in management begging them to stay.

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The TikTok currently has over 372,000 views.

@nikkidavis020 bye bye #nike #nikeardilla #nikedunk ♬ the joke is on you. icarly – Kate
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It’s unclear what led Nikki and fellow co-workers to quit besides management issues, though her previous TikToks may give some indication of what working at the Nike Factory Store was like. In her other TikToks, she complains of dealing with “Karens” and other customers with ridiculous inquiries

However, it seems from her original TikTok that management was a motivating issue in getting her and other employees to leave.

This is a common complaint among workers who have recently quit their jobs. A Pew Research Center study from earlier in the year polled people who recently quit their jobs about their reasons for leaving. One of the most commonly given reasons for leaving was being “disrespected at work”—a feeling shared by 57% of respondents. 

Nikki’s departure from the Nike Factory Store also follows an ongoing trend from last year: The Great Resignation.

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As CNBC reported in March of this year, 44% of workers are currently in search of another job. Compounding this are the record amount of people quitting their present employment. CNBC reported, “Nearly 4.3 million people quit their jobs in January, just shy of a monthly record set in November.” The total number of people who quit their jobs last year was also an annual record, coming in at almost 48 million people.

In the comments under Nikki’s video, users were not surprised by her decision to quit given both their alleged experiences in Nike stores and the current labor market.

“Nike Outlets stores are the worse places to work for,” one commenter shared. “THE DISCOUNT IS NOT WORTH THE EMOTIONAL DAMAGE.”

“Best decision you’ll ever make,” another added. “As former Nike employee the long hours esp closing shifts not worth the discount.”

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“I remember being told that too while working for Nike as a manager,” a third alleged. “Company doesn’t care about retail employees.”

“Nike outlet is the worst job I ever had In my life,” a fourth claimed. “I made it like a month.”

Others noted the stupidity of the management’s original statement, explaining how that ideation leads to people quitting jobs.

“Ppl don’t quit companies they quit bosses,” a commenter wrote.

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“If you have to beg for employees to stay, you ain’t an effective manager,” another agreed.

The Daily Dot reached out to Nikki via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message and to Nike via email.


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