Unvaccinated United Airlines employees will return to work

In a major victory for freedom of choice in the United States, according to an internal memo, all unvaccinated United Airlines staff which were placed on unpaid leave a few months back, will be allowed to go back to work and won’t be fired as it was stated by the airline last September.

United will allow the more than 2,000 employees that were placed on a list with an approved request for reasonable accommodation (RAP) and who have been out on unpaid leave to return to their former jobs and resume their duties as normal. This was all said in a memo by United Vice President of Human Resources, Kirk Limacher.

• More great content from Transponder1200: Thailand grounds Boeing 737-800 fleet

The VP of HR said that the carrier is confident that they’re able to safely bring back these more than 2,000 employees, citing a decline in coronavirus cases and the fact that the virus is becoming endemic. The airline was one of the first in the nation with a comprehensive vaccine policy. About 67,000 were offered the vaccine with a deadline of September to be vaccinated or fired.

In the memo, Limacher said that the Omicron wave is showing clear signs of receding and that its proven that protection remains high for those vaccinated. He states that it’s that same commitment to safety and science that they’re using to ensure their policies reflect the broader shift to the endemic stage of the pandemic.

In October of 2021, more than 230 employees were fired for refusing to take the vaccine, going against the carrier’s mandate and going over the deadline. The employees didn’t seek an exception, and simply went over the deadline. Limacher closed off by stating that the airline will review its protocols “if another variant emerges or the COVID trends suddenly reverse course”.