Delta Air Lines announced that all unvaccinated employees are going to have to pay more for their health insurance. Starting on November 1, any employee who is not fully vaccinated will be charged an extra $200 per month for their insurance.
In addition to the monthly surcharge, unvaccinated employees will be required to mask at all times while indoors and will have to undergo weekly coronavirus tests. The airline also said that starting on September 30, "COVID pay protection will only be provided to fully vaccinated individuals who are experiencing a breakthrough infection." In addition, unvaccinated employees who contract COVID-19 will be required to use their sick days for any time they miss.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian cited the high cost of covering a hospital stay for a patient with COVID as the reason for the new coronavirus policies.
"The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $50,000 per person," Bastian said in a memo to employees. "This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company. In recent weeks since the rise of the B.1.617.2 variant, all Delta employees who have been hospitalized with COVID were not fully vaccinated."
Bastian said that 75% of the airline's workforce is fully vaccinated. He explained that the "aggressiveness of the [delta] variant means we need to get many more of our people vaccinated, and as close to 100 percent as possible."
While the airline does not require current employees to get vaccinated, all new hires must be fully vaccinated.