Southwest backs off plan to place unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave in December

By Zach Halaschak

Published October 19, 2021 3:34pm ET

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Southwest backs off plan to place unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave in December — A Southwest jet takes off Monday, April 4, 2011 from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. The peeling away of a 5-foot-long hole recently on a Southwest Jet as the plane traveled at 35,000 feet raised questions about how vulnerable the worldÃs passenger air fleet is to similar cracks, and federal aviation officials were considering ordering more widespread inspections. | (Matt York/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Southwest Airlines has reversed course on a plan to put all unvaccinated staff on unpaid leave in early December.

The airline had previously said that all staff members who haven’t gotten vaccinated or received a medical or religious exemption by Dec. 8 would be placed on unpaid leave, a position that had been met with anger and protests from some employees. Labor unions for airline pilots have also expressed opposition to vaccine mandates.

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Air Travel Biden Administration Mandate Southwest Airlines Vaccines