ATLANTA, Ga. — Delta Airlines announced Wednesday that as of November 1, any employee who remains unvaccinated against COVID-19 will be subjected to a $200 monthly surcharge on the company’s account-based healthcare plan.
The move, Delta said, was “necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company.” The new surcharge was among several changes Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced in a memo to employees about COVID-19. Among the other changes Delta is making to increase their vaccination rate:
- Effective immediately, all unvaccinated employees must wear masks in all indoor Delta settings
- Starting Sept 12, any U.S. employee who isn’t vaccinated will have to take a weekly COVID-19 test while community rates remain high. Any positive test will send that employee to isolation and out of the workplace.
- Starting September 30, “in compliance with state and local laws, COVID pay protection will only be provided to fully vaccinated individuals who are experiencing a breakthrough infection.”
Bastian saidthat as of Wednesday, 75 percent of employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 and more than 150,000 vaccine doses have been given to employees, their family members, and friends at Delta clinics.