Southwest Airlines has had a change of heart when it comes to dealing with unvaccinated employees awaiting exemptions.
For those who are unvaccinated but are waiting on exemptions to be approved, they will still be able to work and won’t be put on unpaid leave, Yahoo! News Reports.
According to CNBC they reviewed a note from Southwest that went into detail about unvaccinated employees awaiting exemptions.
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Southwest sent a note on Friday and told employees they were allowed to continue to work with pay. But they would have to follow masking and social distancing guidelines.
“This is a change from what was previously communicated,” said the airline’s senior vice president of operations and hospitality, Steve Goldberg, and its vice president and chief people officer, Julie Weber.
“Initially, we communicated that these employees would be put on unpaid leave and that is no longer the case.”
If the employee is denied, they will still be able to work “as we coordinate with them on meeting the requirements (vaccine or valid accommodation).”
Employees have until Nov. 24th to apply for exemptions.
NBC stated a spokesperson confirmed that the policy had changed.
“If an accommodation has not been reviewed or approved by December 8, the employee will continue to work, while following all Covid mask and distancing guidelines applicable to their position, until the accommodation has been processed,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “While we intend to grant all valid requests for medical and/or religious accommodations, in the event a request is not granted, the company will provide adequate time for an employee to
become fully vaccinated while continuing to work and adhering to safety protocols.”
As you know, President Biden’s mandate for federal contractors and employees must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8th unless exemptions have been granted.
Roomies, what do you think about the vaccination exemptions?
