593 employees face termination for not getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Employees faced a September 27 deadline to provide proof they were vaccinated. The airline said that 96% of its U.S. workforce is vaccinated, and dozens of employees submitted their proof right before the deadline. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, but keeping our team safe has always been our first priority,” Chief Executive Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart wrote in a memo to employees. Workers who are not vaccinated are being fired for violating the company’s safety policy, making them ineligible to receive unemployment benefits. However, employees can keep their jobs if they get vaccinated before their termination hearing. United plans to hire an additional 25,000 workers in the next few years and said that all new hires must be vaccinated. That policy will also apply to all students at its pilot training school. The airline said that it is processing around 2,000 requests for religious and medical exemptions, adding that those cases account for less than 3% of the airline’s workforce.