Transat A.T. Inc., like competitors Air Canada and WestJet Airlines, is requiring all of its employees to be fully vaccinated in accordance with a federal mandate for Canada’s air, rail and marine transportation sectors.
“Everyone must do their part to ensure that we eventually overcome the virus,” said Annick Guerard, Transat’s chief executive officer and president, in a conference call with analysts on Sept. 8.
Read: Trudeau mandating coronavirus vaccinations for federal employees
The Calgary-based airline announced on Wednesday that it, too, will require all of its employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 30, adding it won’t be providing testing as an alternative. However, the organization said it will evaluate and accommodate employees who are unable to be vaccinated against the coronavirus due to medical or other exemptions.
The announcements by Transat and WestJet come on the heels of Air Canada announcing it’s requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and to report their vaccination status by Oct. 30.
While the company will accommodate employees who have valid exceptions, such as medical conditions, that prevent them from being vaccinated, failure to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 30 will have consequences — including unpaid leave or termination, said a press release.
Read: Unvaccinated Air Canada employees facing unpaid leave, termination
Meanwhile, in the U.S., United Airlines said on Sept. 7 that more than half its employees who weren’t vaccinated last month have gotten their shots since the company announced that vaccines would be required.
United’s 67,000 U.S.-based employees face a Sept. 27 deadline for getting vaccinated. The airline also said employees whose bids for exemptions based on medical reasons or religious beliefs are denied will get five more weeks to get vaccinated. After that, the airline said they’ll face termination or unpaid leave.