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* Robert Channick at the Tribune…
United Airlines told employees Wednesday that anyone granted a religious or medical waiver from an accelerated Sept. 27 vaccination deadline will be placed on temporary leave beginning Oct. 2.
Employees whose requests for a vaccination exemption are denied will have five weeks to get the shots or be terminated by the airline. […]
For customer-facing roles such as pilots, flight attendants and gate agents, employees granted a religious vaccine exemption will be placed on unpaid personal leave beginning Oct. 2, and would be able to return to work only after the pandemic “meaningfully recedes,” the airline said. […]
Mechanics, ramp service employees and other operational positions exempted from vaccinations for religious reasons would remain on unpaid leave until United “develops and implements” new testing and safety procedures to allow their return, the airline said. […]
Those granted medical exemptions to the vaccine requirements will face the same return-to-work timetable, but will be placed on medical leave, which can include some form of compensation.
Thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 3:34 am
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Certainly not a lawyer but somewhat two sets of rules. I dunno.
Comment by Blue Dog Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 4:15 am
===This is a hasty policy that will not hold up in court.===
Narrator: it has
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 6:06 am
Get vaxxed, or find another job. United has decided that it isn’t going to be on the liability hook because of your religious objections. As for those employees with medical reasons for not getting the vaccine, I’m sorry, but you’re still at risk of becoming infected and spreading the virus. Find a non public-facing job.
Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 6:31 am
As an actual lawyer (not just a Google lawyer) the airline will have no problem for the rules relating to customer facing roles. The rule will be considered a reasonable rule for the safety of the public.
Beyond that, nobody is being fired. Currently it is not safe for them to work. If the situation changes, they will be brought back.
Another important note is that the airline does not have other options. They cannot risk their customers or staff by moving the employees to another job.
Comment by Crash Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 6:54 am
Another company exercising their rights to protect themselves, their customers, and most importantly, their shareholders.
Free market doing it’s thang.
Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 7:11 am
===First, the “reasonable accommodations” … .===
The lack of air quality in airports and planes overwhelm “reasonable accommodations” … .
Comment by Anyone Remember Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 7:26 am
Of course this approach is legal and more of this please from corporate America. We have two choices: we can move with as much speed as possible to eradicate the ability of this disease to continue to mutate ie vaccinate everyone or we can screw around with false narratives around personal choice and have this disease mutate to the point where our miracle vaccinations no longer work. If the disease were polio, there would be no pushback on ensuring that a company protect its employees and its customers from polio. The Trumper’s have corroded so many brains. United should be applauded for doing what’s right.
Comment by Coffeelover Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 7:41 am
Once you understand the science, that’ true of all vaccines. So let’s just stop vaxxing for everything by your logic.
Comment by Cheryl44 Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 7:54 am
My thoughts are that United Airlines got it right. More of this throughout society and we can end the pandemic. Let the shunning commence (banned punctuation)
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:04 am
It doesn’t seem like much of an exemption if they still get suspended for not complying. I’m cool with it, it’s just weird that UA is claiming to give these people an exemption when they clearly aren’t.
Comment by Perrid Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:05 am
“The vaccine is LEAKY.” Umbrellas and raincoats are leaky too, and some times I get wet when someone comes in out of the rain. How about we just stop using them? /s
Comment by Skeptic Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:06 am
=This is a hasty policy that will not hold up in court.=
What Fyin’ Elvis said.
= a vaccinated person is no more or less SAFE to be around.=
So, by your logic you can smoke all you want, forgo seat belts, and quit brushing and flossing.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:10 am
If they can’t put a name to a comment, it’s probably not worth the time…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:11 am
Employment predicated on vaccination is a strong way to get us out of this pandemic.
The sooner those folks realize they could be unemployable without vaccination the better.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:19 am
Good. you don’t want to be part of the solution? you get moved aside.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:24 am
Ignoring anonymous comments might not prevent the spread of COVID-19, but they do much to improve your quality of life.
Comment by DHS Drone Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:26 am
Queue additional lawsuits.
Comment by ;) Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:26 am
Excellent, nuanced policy. Every employer should follow suit.
Only way to improve? Require passengers to be vaccinated.
Comment by Mandates are Good Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:26 am
Excellent rule, their religion doesn’t protect my kids from the virus they want to spread. You can keep your job, you just can’t spread a deadly contagious disease on company time
Comment by SWIL_Voter Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:27 am
“Queue additional lawsuits”
Sure, like there is some guaranteed course to take to avoid litigation.
Comment by Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:28 am
=== Queue additional lawsuits.===
Call DeVore… he loses, but… does it gracefully.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:29 am
==More of this throughout society and we can end the pandemic.==
And that should include all state employees and offices. AFSCME 31, that includes you.
Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:48 am
I am rather shocked that no covid-vax lawsuits have been filed yet in Illinois (to my knowledge anyway). There are plenty of precedents going back to the small pox days, but I’m unaware of one re covid. If anyone is aware of a covid-vax lawsuit in IL, please share the details.
Comment by Kyle’s mom Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:49 am
From AP;
“Since United Airlines announced that vaccines would be required for employees last month, more than half of its unvaccinated employees have gotten their shots. Employees who do not get vaccinated by Sept. 27 risk termination or unpaid leave.”
Thing is… you link it to being employed… or unemployed… and unemployable… yeah, mandates work.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:02 am
“No difference in public health threat from the vaccinated vs unvaccinated worker.”
Wrong, the unvaxxed are contagious for more than double the time that vaxxed individuals are.
Comment by MrX Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:02 am
@Ret. Army Col.
It doesn’t say medical exemption this is solely religious exemption. Medicinal exemption will receive some sort of compensation but religious will not. I think it’s fair especially given the fact that religious reasons against vaccination are on pretty shaky grounds. To the most of my knowledge there are maybe two mainstream religious organizations that have religious opposition as a tenet of their religion: the Christian Scientists and Seventh Day Adventists. All others seem to have no opposition.
My only questions regarding religious exemption is how it applies to the large number of nondenominational churches. If a pastor heading some large church, i.e. Greg Locke, stands up screaming against the vaccine every Sunday can someone who’s a member or watches online be granted an exemption? My personal opinion is absolutely not but I’m not sure if that will be the case or not.
Comment by Eastern blox Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:05 am
“nondenominational churches”
Many nondenominational churches are Christian churches. They just don’t belong to a specific Christian denomination (e.g. Baptist, Methodist, etc.). There is no Christian teaching opposing vaccines. The bible is silent on the issue. “Where the bible speaks, we speak. Where the bible is silent, we are silent.” - Thomas Campbell, 1809
Comment by Steve Polite Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:42 am
“ Most of our church members normally rely on prayer for healing. It’s a deeply considered spiritual practice and way of life that has meant a lot to us over the years. So we’ve appreciated vaccination exemptions and sought to use them conscientiously and responsibly, when they have been granted.
On the other hand, our practice isn’t a dogmatic thing. Church members are free to make their own choices on all life-decisions, in obedience to the law, including whether or not to vaccinate their children. These aren’t decisions imposed by their church, - ChristianScience.com
Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 9:55 am
@Thomas Paine
I didn’t know that about the Christian Sciencetists, thanks for posting that.
@Steve Polite
So I guess I’m correct in assuming that because Pastor Joe says the vaccine is evil because reasons is not grounds for a valid religious exemption.
Comment by Eastern blox Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 10:19 am
==It doesn’t seem like much of an exemption if they still get suspended for not complying. I’m cool with it, it’s just weird that UA is claiming to give these people an exemption when they clearly aren’t.==
United isn’t giving employees the exemption, federal law does. First Amendment for religious exemption and Americans With Disabilities Act for medical exemption. If an employee claims an exemption provided by federal law, United send the employee home.
Comment by SAP Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 10:38 am
===The bible is silent on the issue.===
Probably because vaccines weren’t a thing in Biblical times.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:04 am
@Eastern blox,
That would be my understanding. While many Christians look up to and respect their pastors and leaders, those people do not speak with the same authority as God. Many Christians follow the tenet of sola scriptura, “by scripture alone”: which means the bible is the final authority on Christian teaching and way of life. (I am not speaking of the Catholic Church here and realize there is a difference of belief, and these philosophies are debated. I am only pointing out what many nondenominational Christians believe in the context of this discussion.)
Comment by Steve Polite Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:08 am
@Cubs in ‘16
You are correct. I am only pointing out that many Christians believe if the bible does not expressly prohibit an action, then it is acceptable. Therefore, there is no religious exemption of vaccines for most Christians with the possible exception of a couple groups which have already been mentioned.
Comment by steve Polite Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:27 am
I like the idea that those with approved medical exemptions may have access to paid while on leave. Through no fault of their own, their bodies are problematic in terms of the vaccine.
But as to the “deeply held religious beliefs,” I believe United Airlines is making the proper decision (both in terms of business practices and ethics).
In the context of business, it is cost efficient to disallow potentially infectious people to interact with customers and fellow workers. Insurance costs and medical costs can and should be minimized during a pandemic.
On moral grounds, deeply held personal beliefs about personal interpretations of religious texts are not the same as deeply held religious beliefs espoused by a religion. Very few religions dictate that adherents avoid medicine, much less “some” medicines.
The First Amendment was not intended to protect every individual, based on every individual’s personal beliefs and interpretations of words and ideas scattered throughout any and all religious texts. Nor was it intended to allow tangentially related interpretations of sentences in a religious text to apply to any host of random circumstances occurring in the modern era.
If you wish to practice religion, practice religion freely. But that freedom does not allow any citizen to cause harm to another on the basis of religion. Even infidels have rights, and deserve protection from dangerous people.
Comment by H-W Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:32 am
@ Eastern Blox:
Seventh Day Adventists do not oppose vaccination.
“The Seventh-day Adventist Church places strong emphasis on health and well-being. The Adventist health emphasis is based on biblical revelation, the inspired writing of E.G. White (co-founder of the Church), and on peer-reviewed scientific literature. As such, we encourage responsible immunization/vaccination, and have no religious or faith-based reason not to encourage our adherents to responsibly participate in protective and preventive immunization programs. We value the health and safety of the population, which includes the maintenance of “herd immunity.”
“We are not the conscience of the individual church member, and recognize individual choices. These are exercised by the individual. The choice not to be immunized is not and should not be seen as the dogma nor the doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”
Comment by JoanP Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:43 am
Capitalism to the rescue? It’s kind of poetic justice when people who want the right to decide whether to take a vaccine are met by the right of other people( employers) to decide whom to employ. Same when Cake bakers who don’t want to serve people they disagree with aren’t allowed to enter businesses if they won’t comply with mask requests
I have no problem with United’s decision to do what they can to reassure the public they are safe to do business with.
Comment by thoughts matter Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 12:57 pm