This Airline Will No Longer Allow Sick Leave For Unvaccinated Employees
American Airlines announced that it end company-provided pandemic leave for its unvaccinated employees who get infected with COVID-19.
Texas-based American Airlines notified its employees in a memo last week that its “pandemic leave will only be offered to team members who are fully vaccinated and who provide their vaccination card” in light of the Food and Drug Administration giving full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
As of October 1, any employee not vaccinated and must miss work due to COVID-19 will need to use earned sick time or medical leave during their absence.
“We have heard from many team members that the full approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration gives them additional peace of mind when they were previously hesitant to get vaccinated,” the memo read.
As a result of the memo, the airline said it had more “desire to encourage as many of our team members as possible to get vaccinated.”
The airline has not yet mandated the vaccine but is strongly encouraging employees to be vaccinated and submit their vaccine cards by Oct. 1.
Employees that submit proof of their vaccine before the Oct.1 deadline will be rewarded by the airline.
According to the memo “U.S. based team members who submit their vaccination card during this new window will have an extra day of vacation pay in 2021.”
American Airlines’ decision is in line with Alaska Airlines, which announced that unvaccinated employees will no longer be eligible for quarantine pay for COVID absences due to infection or exposure. They will further be required to take a vaccine education program. Alaska is now requiring new hires to be vaccinated.
Delta Air Lines announced that its unvaccinated employees on Delta’s account-based health care plan will incur a $200 monthly surcharge as of November.
“This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company,” Delta CEO Bastian said in a memo to employees last month.