As companies continue the push to get their staffs fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a pair of airlines have enacted repercussions for those who opt to avoid the shot.
American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have announced they will no longer pay employees for time off during mandatory COVID quarantine stretches if they chose not to get inoculated.
“Going forward, given there is an FDA-approved vaccine, pandemic leave will only be offered to team members who are fully vaccinated and who provide their vaccination card to us,” read a memo sent to American Airlines staff on Friday.
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The new regulation goes into effect for American Airlines employees on October 1 and will mandate that workers use their own sick time and/or medical leave if they miss work for quarantine reasons.
Alaska Airlines has already put the new rule into effect as of August 30.
Neither company has instituted an actual vaccine mandate, but both are showing signs of making life a little more difficult for workers who choose to stay unvaccinated.
Additionally, Alaska Airlines is giving vaccinated employees a $200 stipend if they provide proof in the form of their vaccination cards by October 15. Employees who do not meet the deadline will be labeled unvaccinated and will be required to mask at all times as well as undergo a “mandatory vaccine education program.”