Alaska Airlines to require vaccines for new hires, take quarantine pay away from unvaccinated employees
Approximately 75% of Alaska and Horizon employees who have shared their vaccination status are vaccinated to date
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Alaska and Horizon Airlines will now require new employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by their date of hire.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALK | ALASKA AIR GROUP INC. | 40.40 | -0.36 | -0.88% |
The move comes after Alaska previously told FOX Business it is "looking closely" at a possible vaccine mandate for its full workforce of 23,000 employees amid a surge in cases and hospitalizations. However, a representative for the company confirmed on Thursday that a vaccine mandate would not be put in place at this time.
"We believe having as many people as possible vaccinated is the best path for protection against COVID-19 and we will continue to strongly encourage our employees to be vaccinated," the airline told FOX Business in a statement. "As of today, 75% of Alaska and Horizon employees who have shared their vaccination status are vaccinated."
Instead, Alaska and Horizon will provide an additional payment of $200 to any employee that provides proof of vaccination.
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For Alaska and Horizon employees who remain unvaccinated, the airline said it will implement a new testing protocol as another layer of safety in addition to masking and social distancing.
Unvaccinated employees will also be required to participate in a vaccine education program and will no longer receive quarantine pay for absences due to COVID-19 exposure or infection.
"As we have throughout the pandemic, we’ll continue to adjust our safety protocols as we learn," Alaska's statement concluded.
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Major companies that are requiring vaccinations for employees include Disney, Facebook, Google, Uber, Equinox Group, Tyson Foods, United Airlines, Citigroup, McDonald's, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley and the New York Stock Exchange.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | THE WALT DISNEY CO. | 99.18 | -2.98 | -2.92% |
| FB | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| GOOGL | ALPHABET INC. | 182.07 | -3.34 | -1.80% |
| UBER | UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC. | 72.68 | +2.34 | +3.33% |
| TSN | TYSON FOODS INC. | 57.14 | +0.70 | +1.24% |
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. | 48.66 | +0.46 | +0.95% |
| C | CITIGROUP INC. | 63.48 | +1.92 | +3.12% |
| MCD | MCDONALD'S CORP. | 254.84 | -3.33 | -1.29% |
| GS | THE GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC. | 452.32 | +6.36 | +1.43% |
| CS | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| MS | MORGAN STANLEY | 97.19 | +1.42 | +1.48% |
| ICE | INTERCONTINENTAL EXCHANGE INC. | 136.89 | -0.58 | -0.42% |
Meanwhile, Walmart said it will require vaccinations for all U.S. employees above store and club level, such as regional managers and corporate employees and Chevron and Hess Corporation said they would require vaccinations for U.S. employees working in the Gulf Coast.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 67.71 | -0.17 | -0.25% |
| CVX | CHEVRON CORP. | 156.42 | +0.10 | +0.06% |
| HES | HESS CORP. | 147.52 | -0.02 | -0.01% |
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 174.9 million Americans, or 63.7% of U.S. adults, are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to date. Meanwhile, more than 205.9 million Americans, or 74.5% of U.S. adults, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition, approximately 1.15 million moderate to severely immunocompromised people have received an additional booster dose since Aug. 13.