Delta Airlines announced earlier today that it would begin fining employees who are unvaccinated, becoming the first U.S. company to use a monetary penalty to encourage immunization.
In a memo sent out by Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian Wednesday morning, the company outlined the new fees, stating that any employee currently on the company’s health-care plan who didn’t get the shot by November 1st would be subject to a $200 monthly surcharge. Starting in September, any employee who remains unvaccinated will also have to undergo weekly testing. While plenty of other companies, like United Airlines, Google, and Facebook have made vaccinations mandatory and announced their own immunization policies, Delta is the first to develop financial consequences for remaining unvaccinated.
Naturally, people had opinions. More than a few questioned Delta’s ability to penalize workers for their personal health choices:
https://twitter.com/goodblackdude/status/1430539071932174341
Boycott Delta. If we allow this to happen without protest then they will continue to dump on our privacy regardless of vacations or any other label they want to put on an individual or group. I'm driving if possible, tired of the hassle of flying and all the new rules.
— Brian Ashworth (@ashworthb1) August 25, 2021
Not sure how I feel about this. Does this open the door to charging higher rates for people with other issues? Or for someone who didn’t get a HPV vax or a flu shot?
— TheAnna ♏️✍️ (@TheAnna94305830) August 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/VATMichigan/status/1430586065480527877
Look I fully get and agree that private companies should be able to mandate whatever the hell they want but do they have to just be straight up petty?
— squidbobspongesquare (@WillyDiBa7) August 25, 2021
Others applauded the company for making an effort to improve vaccination rates among its employees (currently around 75% of Delta employees are vaccinated.)
I see that Delta Air Lines is making a personal choice. I look forward to seeing everyone respect @Delta’s freedom to do so. https://t.co/XdSEdyDg0G
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 25, 2021
It's pretty fascinating to watch the folks who always scream that, "businesses have the FREEDOM to make their own choices," absolutely lose their shit over Delta Air Lines choosing to charge unvaxxed employees an additional $200 per month for their health insurance.
— Jake Lobin (@JakeLobin) August 25, 2021
Delta Air Lines is charging an extra $200 a month for health insurance for unvaccinated employees starting 11/1/2021. pic.twitter.com/mSaypvZ7k4
— Mayo 🤍 (@MayoIsSpicyy) August 25, 2021
Delta Air Lines will raise healthcare premiums an extra $200 per month for all unvaccinated employees. About time there’s a penalty for ignorance.
— anyone_want_chips (@anyonewantchips) August 25, 2021
It's time for insurance companies to deny coverage to the unvaxxed.
— QuietRioter☀️ (@AllThatsWell) August 25, 2021
If im a smoker, I have to.
This is the same thing. Do wreckless stuff, get reckless rewards
— Brandon (@CaptPantalones) August 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/hawkize/status/1430537118749765638
But, perhaps the sharpest commentary came from the eagle-eyed commenters who noticed Delta got very specific when naming the Coronavirus variant in question.
Lol at Delta using “B.1.617.2” instead of Delta variant https://t.co/10vsulUq0L
— Eugene Daniels (@EugeneDaniels2) August 25, 2021