Delta to Levy Non-Vaccinated Employees $200 Monthly Surcharge, Require Weekly Testing and Masks

Delta flight attendants and pilots after a flight

Delta Air Lines said it would charge unvaccinated employees a $200 per month health insurance surcharge and mandate weekly coronavirus testing.

The Atlanta-based carrier announced the changes in a memorandum to its workforce on Wednesday that was viewed by Frequent Business Traveler.

Starting on September 12, U.S.-based employees who have not yet been vaccinated will be required to take weekly coronavirus tests for as long as community case rates remain high, Delta said.  They will also be required to don face masks in indoor settings such as offices.

By the end of the month, only vaccinated employees will receive pay protection for absences due to Covid-19.  Finally, starting in November, non-vaccinated workers who are part of the airline’s healthcare plan will see an additional $200 surcharge.   Delta says that the charge will go towards the additional expenses the airline incurs when non-vaccinated employees are hospitalized with Covid-19.

“I know some of you may be taking a wait-and-see approach or waiting for full FDA approval,” Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, said in the memo. “With this week’s announcement that the FDA has granted full approval for the Pfizer vaccine, the time for you to get vaccinated is now.”

Over the course of the past few weeks, the only Delta employees who were hospitalized with Covid-19 had been ones who had not received the vaccine.

“This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company,” Bastian wrote.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)