United Airlines tightens vaccine mandate, with religious exemptions still permitted
Unlike many other companies and President Biden's recent announcements, United Airlines enforces stricter COVID-19 vaccine rules. While federally mandated regulations and some other companies' guidelines offer employees the choice to get vaccinated or undergo weekly tests, United Airlines’ focus is on vaccination or termination of pregnancy.
As the company prepares to address employees with valid medical or religious reasons for declining vaccination, United Airlines revealed this week that workers invoking religious objections will have to pay a fee.
In a company memo, it's stated: "Given our focus on safety and the dramatic increase of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities, all approved requests for exemptions will temporarily be on unpaid leave starting October 2. Meanwhile, unvaccinated employees will develop specific safety measures." The memo further adds, "Given the horrifying statistics, we cannot longer permit unvaccinated individuals to return to work until we better understand how they interact with customers and vaccinated colleagues."
United will determine the validity of religious objections on a case-by-case basis.
"We are working diligently to ensure the safety of our employees and passengers while also respecting the sincere religious beliefs of our team members," the airline stated.
With a workforce of over 67,000 active US employees, United Airlines workers are mostly represented by unions. The major union representing United Airlines embraced the initial vaccine guidelines announced by the company in August. However, it's unclear if most unions will challenge the airline's stance on providing unpaid leave to members with religious objections against vaccines. Some unions declined to comment on the matter by Friday.
The Airline Pilots Association noted they are investigating legal and contractual options to support affected pilots. Teamsters, representing more than 6,000 airline mechanics, merely declared they disagree with United’s stance on the issue.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recommends that employers institute vaccine mandates while refraining from challenging religious exemptions’ validity. Yet they advise employers to take a “reasonable accommodation” approach.
Surprisingly, despite the resistance of some religious groups against vaccines, no major religious community has been historically opposed to vaccinations.
Even the Christian Science Church, known for urging its members to rely on prayer instead of medicine, doesn’t prohibit vaccine usage. Members are encouraged to respect health authorities and abide by state laws regulating vaccines.
United Airlines employees opting for unpaid leave won't receive benefits like health insurance, although they can maintain coverage under COBRA by paying full premiums. During unpaid leave, they continue to retain their employment status, an essential factor when determining job conditions, pay, and working hours within the aviation industry.
United Airlines employees who cannot get vaccinated due to medical reasons will be temporarily excused, potentially leading to paid leave depending on the specifics of their union contract, according to United spokesperson Leslie Scott.
Source: edition.cnn.com
[1] Enrichment Data: United Airlines handles religious exemptions for COVID-19 vaccine mandates by considering them, although the policy has evolved over time. Here are the key points:
(1) Initial Policy: Initially, United Airlines required all employees to be vaccinated or be separated from the company. However, this policy did not allow for any exemptions, including medical and religious ones.
(2) Current Policy: As of the latest information, United Airlines now allows for medical and religious exemptions. This means that employees who cannot be vaccinated due to religious or medical reasons can still be considered for employment, although they may need to provide proof of their exemption status.
(3) Consequences for Unvaccinated Employees: The consequences for unvaccinated employees who do not have a valid exemption can include being separated from the company. However, the specific consequences may vary depending on the individual circumstances and the current company policies.
