As of today, 13 of the top 13 female Nike athletes are pregnant. This is despite a new policy protecting them against pay cuts for the 18 months before and after they become mothers. The two athletes in question are tennis legend Serena Williams and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu, and the Nike Collective was founded to make sure that female athletes were part of the company's decisions. It is also crucial that Nike has female athletes involved in its discussions, which will help to grow the brand and the sport of Nike.
13 of Nike’s top sponsored athletes have been pregnant
Thirteen of Nike’s top sponsored female athletes are currently pregnant or have given birth. This trend of athletes becoming pregnant is especially troubling for women who have devoted their lives to their sport. Nike's policy about maternity leaves athletes feeling unsafe and unprotected. This is in addition to the lack of support athletes receive during pregnancy. Many of them spoke out and demanded protection against punishment after childbirth.
Nike's 18-month-old pregnancy policy protects them in the face of pay cuts
The pay cuts that women receive in sports (including the Olympic team) are often blamed. Nike took the initiative to protect female sports stars from these cuts. Nike executives addressed female athletes and stated that they had not properly accounted for the possibility of pregnancy in their sponsorship agreements. They also indicated that they have added pregnancy protection language into their contracts. Felix explains why Nike decided to change its policy.
Allyson Felix
Allyson Felix was involved with Nike a few years back in a dispute over maternity rights. She claimed that Nike's approach was tone deaf and disrespectful. Nike ultimately agreed to make changes. They also promised not to penalize Felix for poor performance postpartum. This is unfortunate for all. Felix has signed an agreement with Athleta to address the new situation.
Alyssia Monteano's pregnancy
Alyssia Monteno is an Olympic-level pregnant athlete who has been the subject of headlines. The Mexican-born athlete competed in the women's marathon in 2014 and 2017, when she was pregnant with her first child. She was pregnant, which caused the company to reduce her pay retroactively. She claimed that she was being pressured by Nike and the U.S. Olympic Committee for her to quickly return to her athletic form. After her first pregnancies, she left Nike to sign with Asics. This allowed her to continue competing without losing any of the pay. The company worried that she might not return to the same level as before, which could put her at risk for future sponsorships.
Allyson Felix reacts to the nike ad
Allyson Felix, a mother of two, is currently in negotiations for maternity protections from Nike. According to her, Nike approached her for a role in an ad on female empowerment and she didn't know she was pregnant. The December expiration of her contract meant that she had to take a 30% pay cut in order to continue working for the company. Nike denied her requests for certain maternity protections. The ad caused a bigger debate about the rights to female athletes.