Southwest Airlines is offering extra pay to employees who are vaccinated against COVID-19. The airline told all employees that they will receive two days of pay if they are fully vaccinated by November 15. Pilots and flight attendants, who are not paid hourly, will receive compensation for 13 trip segments.

Southwest also told employees who are not vaccinated that after November 15, they will not be paid if they have to miss time because of a positive diagnosis or close contact with somebody who has COVID. They will have to use sick days or personal leave for any absences.

Vaccinated employees who miss time because of COVID-19 will continue to receive ten days of paid sick leave.

The airline said that the new rules were not related to President Joe Biden's COVID plan that will require all businesses with 100 or more employees to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing for the coronavirus.

"As always, Southwest will continue adapting our programs based on the current COVID environment to support the wellbeing of our Employees and Customers," Southwest spokesperson Alyssa Foster said in an emailed statement to Fox Business.

Southwest Airlines joins a growing number of airlines urging their employees to get vaccinated. In August, United Airlines became the first major carrier to mandate that all of its employees must be vaccinated. Other airlines, including Delta, are only requiring new hires to be vaccinated.

Delta also plans to charge unvaccinated employees an extra $200 for health insurance.

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