The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched an investigation into Nike over allegations of discrimination against white employees and applicants, according to multiple reports.
In a motion filed by the EEOC on Wednesday, the agency revealed that it was seeking “information directly relevant to the allegations” that Nike “subjected white employees, applicants and training program participants to disparate treatment based on race in various employment decisions,” the New York Times reported.
The motion filed on Wednesday reportedly seeks “to force Nike to comply with a subpoena from September,” according to the outlet.
“The E.E.O.C. seeks information directly relevant to the allegations that Nike subjected white employees, applicants and training program participants to disparate treatment based on race in various employment decisions, including layoffs, internship programs and mentoring, leadership development and other career development programs,” the EEOC said in the motion.
Per the outlet, the investigation into Nike’s alleged discrimination of white employees and applicants comes as the company has been going through a “difficult time” and is “trying to recover after strategic missteps in recent years left it in a long sales rut.”:
The scrutiny comes at a difficult time for Nike. The world’s largest athletic-wear company has been trying to recover after strategic missteps in recent years left it in a long sales rut. Management has worked to eliminate old inventory, speed up product development and keep the brand focused on sports and athletes.
In 2021, Nike presented a five-year plan for a more diverse work force. Management tied some executive compensation to diversity objectives, which included representation for women in leadership positions and a target of 35 percent representation of racial minorities in its U.S. work force.
CNN reported that the “EEOC said it is requesting information from Nike going back to 2018 over ‘race-based workforce representation quotas.’”:
The EEOC said it is requesting information from Nike going ack to 2018 over “race-based workforce representation quotas” and allegedly deciding layoffs and promotions at least in part due to race. The agency also asked for information about 16 mentoring and career development programs that were “race restricted.”
The agency also claimed that it “filed the enforcement action after Nike failed to voluntarily provide all the information required by the subpoena,” according to the outlet.
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