American Airlines Ends Pandemic Leave for Unvaccinated Employees

American Airlines has announced that it will end company-provided pandemic leave for unvaccinated employees who contract COVID-19, citing the full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the FDA as a reason to require vaccination. The airline has sent a memo to employees stating that only fully vaccinated employees will be eligible for pandemic leave, effective October 1. Unvaccinated employees will have to use their earned sick time or medical leave instead.

Key Takeaways:

• American Airlines will no longer provide pandemic leave for unvaccinated employees who contract COVID-19, effective October 1.
• Only fully vaccinated employees will be eligible for pandemic leave, and they must provide their vaccination card by October 1 at the latest.
• Unvaccinated employees will have to use their earned sick time or medical leave instead.
• The airline is offering an extra day of vacation pay in 2021 to U.S.-based team members who submit their vaccination card by the October 1 deadline.
• American's decision follows a similar move by Alaska Airlines, which has ended quarantine pay for unvaccinated employees and requires new hires to be vaccinated.
• Delta Air Lines has also imposed a $200 monthly surcharge on unvaccinated employees on its account-based health care plan, starting in November.
• American Airlines may change its policy and mandate vaccines for its staff if the virus continues to mutate, cases increase, and certain countries they serve require it.

Statistics:

• October 1: the effective date for American Airlines' new policy ending pandemic leave for unvaccinated employees.
• 2021: the year in which U.S.-based team members who submit their vaccination card by October 1 will receive an extra day of vacation pay.
• 2022: the year in which American Airlines is no longer offering an extra day of vacation as an incentive for getting vaccinated.
• $200: the monthly surcharge imposed by Delta Air Lines on unvaccinated employees on its account-based health care plan, starting in November.

Sources:

• Fox
• The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
• HT Media Ltd.
• Syndigate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info)