United has one of the strictest vaccine mandates from a US company. According to the airline, more than 96% of their 67,000 US employees already completed their vaccination. However, almost 600 United employees did not meet the carrier’s vaccine policy deadline.
However, the airline is not laying off all its unvaccinated employees. Approximately 2,000 employees wanted to get exemptions from United’s vaccine mandate. The airline allows exemptions for medical or religious reasons. Instead, those unvaccinated United Airlines employees exempted from the vaccine mandate will take temporary unpaid leave.
United’s CEO Scott Kirby said in a memo “And we know for some, that decision was a reluctant one”. He added that “But there’s no doubt in our minds that some of you will have avoided future hospital stay—or even death—because you got vaccinated”.
Unvaccinated United Airlines Employees May Lose Their Jobs
Unvaccinated United Airlines employees that didn’t avail of religious or medical exemptions will be removed from their post. However, the process could take weeks. Kirby said that “This was an incredibly difficult decision but keeping our team safe has always been our first priority”.
Employees who didn’t upload proof of vaccination spanned various positions ranging from pilots, to flight attendants, and mechanics. United’s spokesperson said that the carrier is willing to work with some unvaccinated employees in case they change their mind regarding vaccination.
Hiring New Employees
The airline already announced that it plans to hire 25,000 new employees in the coming years. The carrier said that COVID19 vaccination will be a requirement for the new hires. United also started requiring students at its pilot training school to get the vaccine.
The airline also dismissed that a vaccine mandate makes individuals hesitate to apply for the positions. However, other airlines are also looking to expand their workforce to meet the recent travel demand.
