DLASflyer

Ed says any new Delta employee will have to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/14/busin...ees/index.html

ethernal

Good. As a passenger I'd wish that it was mandated to all current employees as well. I understand that Delta can't/won't enforce vaccination status on passengers, but there's no reason not to enforce it on their employees.

MSPeconomist

I expect DL to require vaccinations for all employees as soon as a vaccine gets full approval and the approved vaccine is generally available. Of course, there will be medical and religious exemptions.

Has DL sponsored/organized any vaccination clinics for employees?

BTW, does DL have any testing requirements for customer-facing employees other than crew requirements for countries/states according to the itineraries they're flying? I noticed recently that MSP has a testing site at the airport for airline and airport employees (and a separate one for the general public, but I haven't been able to find any details regarding the tests offered, timing, and costs).

javabytes

One more reason to continue to spend as few dollars with them as possible.

SamOF

Agree. Between skymiles devaluations and meal cutbacks, I thought I'd seen enough. Now inflight service will be performed by people who are not infectious public health hazards?

SuperG1955

Answers to your questions are in the video referenced in Post #1.

rylan

Has the lawsuit against this been filed yet?

Note - this is not meant to be political in any way. Just saying you know there are going to be lawsuits when companies start requiring their workforce to get vaccinated.

ethernal

While anyone can sue so there may be a lawsuit, only someone trying to waste time and money and make headlines would sue on this topic. It's a no-brainer that there is a legitimate business interest for public transportation employees (or employees working in a crowded office) to be vaccinated. Multiple government agencies including the EEOC issued guidance months ago that approved or authorized vaccines can be required by employers (https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-s...her-eeo-laws#D).

The idea that there is actually a legal question around employers requiring vaccination for most roles during a global pandemic is a fanciful idea dreamed up by pro-death (anti-vaccination) minds.

The only issue that Delta is going to run into is that applying a different standard to new hires than existing employees could be an issue, so I expect at some point Delta is going to require it for all employees once it is fully approved (which Pfizer at least probably will be within the next month or two).

IggySD

On what basis? Schools and hospitals have been requiring vaccinations back when everyone laughed at anti-vaxxers and it became a political issue. It might be new for DL but it’s not new in general.

eneq

Without getting too OT, there is a legal grey area right now surrounding whether companies are allowed to require a vaccine that has only been authorized under an EUA.

15cats

From the Norwegian equivalent of NIH in the US

"Higher risk associated with AstraZeneca vaccine than from COVID-19 disease in Norway"

https://www.fhi.no/en/news/2021/astr...ramme-in-norw/

I'm already vaccinated, but I won't ridicule anyone who still is more skeptical about something that only has EUA and not decades of precedent like DTaP

Someone else mentioned the precedent of EUA vs full approval and that is the crux currently for companies like Delta. It will also make scheduling for FAs and pilots easier as many countries will require vaccination certs

rylan

This. It is still considered in clinical trial by the FDA. The phase 3 trial just happens to be large spread use in the general population.

I got mine two stabs already, but just saying its a slippery slope so would not be surprised to see legal challenges.

ethernal

This is an often repeated myth. There is not really a legal grey area, at least not as far as the EEOC and other government agencies that have issued guidance on this topic are concerned. Their language explicitly says authorized or approved. The timing of approval vs. general availability of vaccines will roughly coincide (Pfizer approval will likely happen next month), so the actual issue is moot - the earliest chance firms could really require vaccination would be the end of this month based on availability and full approval will follow shortly. So yes, most companies will wait for it, but it's not strictly required. Multiple hospitals have already let staff go who refused to get vaccinated with no repercussion.

No court is going to rule in favor of a plaintiff in any context where they are expected to comingle with the general public or other staff in close quarters, the vaccines are under emergency use authorization with an excellent safety profile, there is a federal state of emergency declared, and all 50 states still have state-wide state of emergencies declared. Anyone who thinks otherwise is deluded.

flyer4512

No nor will there be, it's a condition of ACCEPTING THE JOB and your rights will be signed away before a person gets vaccinated.

My wife is a MD @ Mayo clinic and has to get a flu shot every year.

If you don't agree find employment elsewhere

javabytes

Leading HR organizations (among them SHRM) disagree that it is quite so cut and dry and are advising employers to adopt incentives to encourage vaccination but not require it. There are plenty of legal risks assumed by an employer that opts to mandate vaccinations that are only authorized under EUAs.