Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

United Airlines Putting Staff Granted Religious Exemptions from Vaccine on Indefinite Unpaid Leave

AP Photo/David Zalubowski
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Share Tweet
By Tré Goins-Phillips
Editor

September 9, 2021

After first mandating all its employees take a COVID-19 vaccination, United Airlines announced this week it will begin placing staffers granted religious exemptions from the inoculation on indefinite unpaid leave.

In a memo sent to workers Wednesday, the company said those who have not received the shot and interact regularly with customers will be allowed to return to their posts as pilots, flight attendants, gate agents, and customer service associates “once the pandemic meaningfully recedes,” according to CNBC.

United, however, did not provide any sort of timeline for when such employees — who won’t be earning any pay — can expect to return to work.

Other staffers granted religious exemptions, like those in less front-facing positions, such as mechanics and dispatchers, have also been placed on unpaid leave but will be permitted to return to their posts once the airliner implements a new testing apparatus as well as other safety measures.

And to anyone whose “request for a religious exemption is denied,” the company stated, “they must be vaccinated within five weeks of the denial notice and get the first shot by Sept. 27, or they will be terminated.”

The airline’s hard-nosed position against religious exemptions comes more than a month after the Chicago-based company announced it is requiring its 67,000 U.S. employees to be fully inoculated against COVID-19 by Oct. 25 or face certain termination.

“We know some of you will disagree with this decision to require the vaccine for all United employees,” airline CEO Scott Kirby wrote in a letter to employees. “But we have no greater responsibility to you and your colleagues than to ensure your safety when you’re at work.”

“The facts are crystal clear,” he added, “everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated.”

At the time, United indicated it would accommodate those who didn’t take the vaccine due to religious or personal beliefs as well as for medical reasons. The company, though, has seemingly since abandoned that flexibility.

Kirk Limacher, vice president for human resources at United, told employees this week that it’s not safe to allow unvaccinated people to participate in the workforce.

“Given the dire statistics,” he explained, “we can no longer allow unvaccinated people back into the workplace until we better understand how they might interact with our customers and their vaccinated co-workers.”

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

Latest

  • Faith

    Amid Revival Chatter, Young People Deliver Another ‘Amazing’ Surprise: ‘A Big Lesson for Christian Outlets’

  • News

    ‘I Apologize’: Simone Biles Backs Down After Bullying Riley Gaines for Defending Women

  • News

    Singer Reveals Wild Miracle, Says She’s Seen ‘Cancer Disappear,’ ‘People Get Delivered From Demons’: ‘You Can’t Deny’

  • News

    Ministry Offers Radical Hope for Addicted, Imprisoned, Afflicted Men Who Have Hit Rock Bottom

  • News

    Christian Baker Terrorized by Disturbing Threats, Legal Chaos Over Cake Refusal Won’t Back Down


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Recent Posts

  • Amid Revival Chatter, Young People Deliver Another ‘Amazing’ Surprise: ‘A Big Lesson for Christian Outlets’
  • ‘I Apologize’: Simone Biles Backs Down After Bullying Riley Gaines for Defending Women
  • Singer Reveals Wild Miracle, Says She’s Seen ‘Cancer Disappear,’ ‘People Get Delivered From Demons’: ‘You Can’t Deny’
  • Ministry Offers Radical Hope for Addicted, Imprisoned, Afflicted Men Who Have Hit Rock Bottom
  • Christian Baker Terrorized by Disturbing Threats, Legal Chaos Over Cake Refusal Won’t Back Down

Archives

  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • culture
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Roe
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.