United Airlines just lost its first employee to COVID-19. Others have been infected. How does United deal with employees who contract COVID-19?
Here’s how United is communicating to its workers about the incident. More specifically, Kate Gebo, United’s Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations lays out four steps United takes when an employee is suspected of testing positive for COVID-19.
To our United family:
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to have a profound impact on our customers, our business and most importantly on you and your families. Oscar and Scott have continued to be transparent about the early, aggressive steps we are taking to try and stay a step ahead of this crisis. And today, in a continued spirit of transparency, I wanted to give you an update about how COVID-19 has affected the health of some of our employees.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and fatalities have increased steadily over the past few weeks here in the U.S. and around the world. As a global company with 100,000 employees worldwide, it was only a matter of time before members of our United family became among those infected. It is with a heavy heart and great sympathy that I share we have lost a member of our United family to COVID-19.
To protect individual privacy, as new cases arise, we won’t share the identity or personal medical information of any of our teammates without permission. But I did want to share the process and procedures we follow when we are made aware of a United employee who is suspected of testing positive for COVID-19:
- As soon as we become aware of a suspected case – either from the CDC, local health officials or an individual employee – we quickly communicate with that individual.
- We closely partner with local, state and national health officials to guide our response, including following all CDC guidelines.
- We also reach out and quickly contact any other employees who may have come into close contact with the person who is suspected of having COVID-19.
- Given the wide range of workplaces across our operation – offices, call centers, airports, aircraft, etc. – we take different measures to isolate and sanitize any suspected, impacted workspaces. For example, if a crew member is diagnosed with COVID-19, the aircraft upon which they worked is taken out of service immediately and undergoes a deep cleaning.
All you come to work each day caring for our customers and one another. In doing that, you not only support United, but you also carry the aviation industry and the critical role it plays for the entire country. During this challenging time please continue to take care of each other and check [our internal website] for the latest information about COVID-19, the CDC’s personal safety guidelines and the steps you can take if you or someone you know becomes infected.
As we continue to monitor COVID-19’s impact on the health of our employees, we will respond in a way that’s not only consistent with the guidelines from health officials, but also our core4 values. Our top priority is ensuring your safety.
On a personal note, during this time it’s also important to stay mindful of our emotional well-being in addition to our physical health. I encourage you to check in on your colleagues and offer a word of encouragement. After all, we are one team and I am confident that we will emerge from this crisis stronger, together and united.
All my best,
Kate Gebo
EVP Human Resources and Labor Relations
United won’t say how many employees have been infected. Heck, they won’t even tell their own employees the name of the soul who passed on earlier this week. I’d say this is more about preventing fear than preserving privacy. That said, preventing fear is not a bad goal per se. As long as employees are not kept in the dark when they are in danger, I don’t blame United for not providing more specific info in a memo or letter that is invariably quickly is leaked to the public.
But United–and all airlines–must be very careful. Two ramp workers wrote me yesterday saying how United does not take safety seriously and still crowds them together in working conditions that are ripe for rapid spread of COVID-19. That cannot stand.
CONCLUSION
Unless airlines are just doing a wonderful job of keeping the news secret, I am frankly quite surprised we have not heard about several more COVID-19 cases. It’s fair that United is not revealing exact numbers, but its vagueness cannot and must not be a mask for avoiding aggressive steps to quarantine any employee who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms…
To any United employee or employee from another airline: is your employer taking COVID-19 seriously? Do you feel pressured coming to work or fearful that your are in too close proximity to others who may be infected? Let me know in the comment section below or privately by email using the contact form at the top of the page.
image: United
The pandemic will reveal the true character of many people.
Yep, so true. The G7 couldn’t agree on a joint statement regarding COVID-19 for example as the US administration insisted on calling it the “Wuhan-virus”
It is the china ccp virus that causes the wuhan flu.
That works for me. Don’t care what others call it.
United is still not cleaning the planes the way they promised to. Armrests and tray tables, for example, are not being wiped down with disinfectant or anything else. They encourage us to call in sick if we feel sick, but it isn’t worth getting put on a step of discipline to do so.
Flight attendants are provided with gloves and Lysol wipes. There are masks on board if a coughing customer needs one; we cant wear them and I don’t want to as they’re very hard to breathe in.
Planes are nearly empty. Most customers wear masks and gloves. Fewer than half will even take a cup of water from us.
Our schedules are constantly changing right now. If I work a flight, inevitably all flights home for the next 24 to 30 hours are cancelled. Layover hotels are doing their best, but seem to be quite dirty. I think they’ve cut most of the staff so there’s nobody to clean the rooms well. The airline said we can take food from the plane for our layovers since hotels no longer have any available.
I think it’s fair to not lost the employees who have tested positive in a company wide email. Heaven forbid you test positive, would you want your name broadcasted in that fashion? Also do HIPAA rules prevent that from happening?
No one ever said they should be named. But how about position and airport?
I’ve been out flying and to say United management has no soul is an understatement. I am embarrassed to fly under the United brand. Nothing to clean the flight deck. Not a single wipe is approved that can kill the virus. Not seeing aircraft cleaned properly between flights (could be happening, just not always seeing it). If they are cleaning, no communication to the gate agent to say, aircraft has been cleaned. I was working a turn that came in from LGA and I asked the gate agent if the aircraft was cleaned, she did not know. No care for the people…not at all. Sick call policies are brutal for the regioanals. We were offered leave with no pay, furloughs coming. Most of America does not realize that over 50% of aviation employees work for the regionals and NONE of us will be covered by the bailout.
We are herded like cows on buses in ORD from the employee parking lot, managers going around insulting people (thinking they are funny) and not giving any information out; instead they choose to have a flash mob (posted all over Facebook and Twitter for the world to see). There is 5,000/6,000 employees at ORD between several work groups. You are going to tell me not one person has come down with it ? Give me a break .. call in sick they say but “it will be up to management to determine if you get disciplined” What a Joke !
They are keeping the info from employees to prevent a huge sickout, but hey come to work because you work is essential now !