Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has decided that there will be a penalty for those employees who are not vaccinated. 200$ surcharge per month on their health insurance.
Unvaccinated employees will be charged if they don’t want to take the shot. It is not only a matter of health but also an economic one. The payment is a form of insurance for the risks that the company has to factor in if any of its employees were to be infected.
All Delta employees who have been hospitalized had not been fully vaccinated. A variant is menacing and the aim is to reach 100% of the vaccination rate. The message the CEO Ed Bastian left to his colleagues worldwide can be seen as firm advice to get the shot.
While we are grateful for the progress we’ve made, the most recent virus variants make it clear that more work remains ahead. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis, and one of the most dangerous challenges our world has faced in this lifetime. Over the past few weeks, the fight has changed with the rise of the B.1.617.2 variant – a very aggressive form of the virus. Our Chief Health Officer, Dr. Henry Ting, describes the variant as a “heat-seeking missile” that transmits predominantly through the unvaccinated community.
Ed Bastian, Delta CEO
Moreover, he adds some points about the actions that will be taken to increase the vaccination rate:
- Unvaccinated employees will always wear masks when In Delta settings
- From Sept. 12, any U.S. employee who is not fully vaccinated will be required to take a COVID test each week while community case rates are high. Those positive results will need to isolate themselves and remain out of the workplace.
- From Nov. 1, unvaccinated employees enrolled in Delta’s account-based healthcare plan will be subject to a $200 monthly surcharge.
- From Sept. 30, COVID pay protection will only be provided to fully vaccinated individuals who are experiencing a breakthrough infection
It could be said that Ed Bastian underlined the importance of the single action for worldwide safety and launched a pro-vaccination campaign. He sees it as an effective tool to protect the community from the Covid pandemic. Everyone, he believes, has a role in it.
