United Airlines is one of the first major companies to publicly advocate for mandatory vaccination for employees.
What United’s CEO says about coronavirus vaccination
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, has made it clear that he wants vaccination to be mandatory for all employees of the company. As he explained in an employee’s town hall this week:
‘The worst thing I believe will ever do in my career is the letters I wrote to the surviving relatives of colleagues we lost to the coronavirus. And so, for me, because I have confidence in the safety of the vaccine – and I realize it’s controversial – I think the right thing to do is to need and make United Airlines and other companies mandatory.
I do not think United will get away and can realistically be the only company that needs vaccinations and makes it mandatory. We need others. We need others to show leadership. Especially in the healthcare industry. ”
This is an interesting perspective he has – he is strongly in favor of compulsory vaccination, but also acknowledges that other companies need to take a similar stance if United are to get away with it.
Note that United is talking specifically about employees here and does not suggest that vaccination is mandatory to fly with the airline.
Compulsory vaccination is controversial
Any discussion about mandatory vaccination is going to be controversial (or heck, any talk about vaccination, period). Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, for example, spoke a while ago about how passengers should be required to fly internationally with the airline, and he had a major setback for the statements and even sent them back a bit.
Among the largest U.S. airlines, we have so far seen no airline CEO that vaccination would be mandatory for employees or passengers, so United is a first in this regard.
Although I am incredibly excited to be vaccinated when it is my turn, I am in favor of getting as many people vaccinated as possible, I can see both sides here. In favor of compulsory vaccination is that it limits the chance of an employee having a coronavirus, and all the logistical challenges and risks associated with it.
At the same time:
- It is not known whether those who are vaccinated can still infect others, so in many respects it is not even directly about protecting others.
- Once we reach a critical mass of vaccinations, the number and deaths will hopefully drop enough so that a small percentage of people who choose not to be vaccinated have less of an impact on society.
I think that to simplify my argument a little further, let’s first get everyone who wants to get vaccinated (while seniors, essential workers, etc.) put first. Let us then look at the point of what the situation looks like there and what further steps need to be taken for anti-vaxxers.
I do think it is likely and reasonable that vaccination will be mandatory among pilots and flight attendants, as many countries may require vaccination for entry. I think the argument is a bit tougher to deliver employees who do not travel around in the same way, such as gate agents and rampers.
It will be interesting to see what kind of policy most companies implement. My guess is that at some point along the way we may see one company take the lead, and then a bunch of other companies may follow.
Bottom line
United Airlines’ chief executive insisted all employees be vaccinated. He is the first major CEO of the US airline to make a statement as firm as that. I am absolutely in favor of vaccinating as many people as possible, although I suspect that there may be a setback among a certain section of the population.
Do you think most airlines will make vaccination compulsory, or will it amount to individual choice?