In shift, Alaska Air to require its employees to get vaccinated

SEATTLE — Alaska Air Group told employees Thursday evening they will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccination, with some exceptions — a shift from the policy laid out last month that only encouraged and rewarded vaccinated employees.

In an email to all Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air employees, the Seattle-based company said that in accordance with the White House executive order that requires all federal contractors to have their workers vaccinated, “All employees will now be required to be fully vaccinated or be approved for a reasonable accommodation.”

That replaces the policy Alaska announced last month, which paid vaccinated employees $200 and required regular testing for others. At that time, Alaska said that 75 percent of its employees had already been vaccinated.

A memo from Andy Schneider, Alaska’s senior vice president of people, said President Joe Biden’s executive order applies to Alaska Air’s subsidiaries as well as some contractors.

“After careful review of this order, we have determined that Alaska, Horizon and McGee employees (including certain contractors and vendors) do fall under this federal vaccine mandate due to our significant work for the federal government, alongside the other major U.S. airlines. This policy will replace our company policy of vaccination or testing that we announced earlier this month,” Schneider told employees in the email.

Alaska said the deadline by which employees must be fully vaccinated could be as early as Dec. 8, and it laid out timelines for getting each of the available vaccines in order to meet that deadline. It said the company is extending its offer of $200 to newly vaccinated employees until Dec. 1.