United Airlines is one of the first major companies to speak out publicly in favor of mandatory vaccination for employees.
What the United CEO says about the coronavirus vaccine
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has made it clear that he wants vaccination to be mandatory for all company employees. As he explained at an employee’s town hall this week:
“The worst thing I believe I will do in my career is the letters I wrote to the surviving members of the family of co-workers we lost to the coronavirus. And so, for me, because I have confidence in the safety of the vaccine – and I recognize that it is controversial – I think the right thing to do is United Airlines, and other companies, to require the vaccines and make them mandatory.
I don’t think United will get away with it and may realistically be the only company that requires vaccines and makes them mandatory. We need some others. We need others to show leadership. Particularly in the health sector. “
It is an interesting perspective that he has – he is strongly in favor of mandatory vaccination, but he also recognizes that other companies need to adopt a similar stance if United wants to “get away with it”.
Note that United is talking specifically about employees here and is not suggesting that vaccination is mandatory to fly with the airline.
Mandatory vaccination is controversial
Any discussion of mandatory vaccination is going to be controversial (or hell, any conversation about vaccination, period). For example, some time ago, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce talked about how passengers can be vaccinated to fly with the international airline, and he faced many negative reactions because of those statements, and even rejected them somewhat.
Among the major airlines in the United States, so far we have not seen any airline CEO say that vaccination would be mandatory for employees or passengers, so United is the first in this regard.
Although I am incredibly excited to be vaccinated when it is my turn and am totally in favor of getting as many people as possible to be vaccinated, I can see both sides here. In favor of mandatory vaccination is that it would limit the chances of an employee having coronavirus and all the logistical challenges and risks associated with it.
At the same time:
- It is not known whether those who have been vaccinated can still infect others, so in many ways, this is not even directly about keeping others safe.
- Once we reach a critical mass of vaccinations, we expect the number of cases and deaths to decrease enough that a small percentage of people who choose not to be vaccinated will have less impact on society in general.
I think to simplify my argument a little more, first we will vaccinate everyone who wants to be vaccinated (while we prioritize the elderly, essential workers, etc.). So, when we get to that point, let’s see how the situation is and what additional steps should be taken for antivaxxers.
I think it is probable and reasonable that vaccination is mandatory between pilots and flight attendants, since many countries may require vaccination for entry. I think the argument is a little more difficult to make for employees who are not traveling in the same way, such as gate agents and rampers.
It will be interesting to see what kind of policy most companies institute. My guess is that, at some point along the way, we may see one company lead the way, and then several other companies can follow it.
Result
The United Airlines CEO spoke in favor of requiring that all employees be vaccinated. He is the first CEO of a major airline in the United States to make such a firm statement. I am totally in favor of vaccinating as many people as possible, although I suspect that there may be some reaction here among a certain subset of the population.
Do you think that most major airlines will make vaccination mandatory or will it depend on an individual choice?