Unvaccinated Delta staff to pay more for healthcare
Days after U.S. regulators gave full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, more American corporations are upping the pressure on employees to get their shots.
Delta Air Lines on Wednesday told unvaccinated employees in a memo they’ll have to pay an additional $200 per month for their corporate healthcare plan starting November. CEO Ed Bastian says the surcharge is necessary to address financial risks, citing the $50,000 per person cost to the company for an average COVID-19 hospital stay.
Its rival, United Airlines, has already mandated shots for its staff.
Over on Wall Street, Goldman Sachs said employees and visitors entering its U.S. offices must be fully vaccinated. The internal memo seen by Reuters also said masks must be worn regardless of vaccination status starting Wednesday. Goldman’s competitors, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup, also require vaccinations at their U.S. headquarters.
Earlier this week, CVS Health mandated full vaccinations for its nurses, pharmacists and other employees who face patients.
In Michigan, Ford Motor is still considering whether to require vaccinations. But its chief people officer told Reuters the auto maker will push back its return-to-office date to January.
It joins a growing number of companies that have delayed plans to reopen offices amid the spike in Delta variant cases.
