By Tom Hals and Rajesh Kumar Singh
(Reuters) -A U.S. federal judge on Monday ruled that United Airlines Holdings Inc can impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on its employees that only provides unpaid leave for workers who are exempted for medical or religious reasons.
U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in Fort Worth, Texas, rejected arguments by employees that the airline was improperly putting them in an “impossible position” by forcing them to choose a vaccine or unpaid leave.
Pittman was critical of United Airlines’ “calloused” approach toward employees seeking religious exemptions, but said in the end human resources policy was up the company and no employee was forced to accept a vaccine.
(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Chris Reese)
