Southwest Airlines will not be placing unpaid employees on unpaid leave as they wait for their exemption requests to be reviewed, the company said.
Under Joe Biden's mandate for federal contractors, employees must be fully vaccinated against Covid and Remedy by December 8 unless they have received medical or religious exemption.
Southwest had initially said employee who did not meet the requirement by the deadline would be placed on unpaid leave but recently changed course, according to CNBC. In a note to employees on Friday, airline officials said that employees could continue to work and get paid but would have to wear an eye mask and social distancing guidelines if their requests for exemption were pending.
This is a change from what was previously reported, said senior vice president of operations and hospitality, Steve Goldberg, and vice-president and chief people officer, Julie Weber. Initially we communicated that these employees would be put on unpaid leave and that is no longer the case. CNBC said it reviewed the note. If a worker's request is denied, Southwest said it would continue working with the employee as we coordinate with them on meeting the requirements vaccine or valid accommodation The employee would also have the opportunity to apply for an exemption if they have new information that they want the company to consider.
Southwest will be giving its employees until Nov. 24 to apply for an exemption from union rules.
NBC News has not reviewed the letter. A company spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that its policy was changed last week.
If an accommodation has not been processed by December 8 the employee will continue to work while following all Covid mask and distancing guidelines applicable to their position, until the accommodation has been reviewed or approved, the spokesperson said in a statement. While we intend to allow all valid requests for medical and/or religious accommodations, the company will provide adequate time for an employee to get fully vaccinated while continuing to work and adhering to safety protocols in the event that a request is not granted.