Date: 202110
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Night
Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operator: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Fatigue; Distraction
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; No Specific Anomaly Occurred Unwanted Situation
Detector: Person Flight Crew
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: It has come to my attention that a great many Pilots and Flight Attendants are operating an aircraft under a climate of increased stress and decreased quality of life due to recent COVID-19 vaccine mandates.Never before; at any time in my career; have I witnessed a more divisive and disruptive workplace issue as is this particular mandate.Civilian Pilots in the United States are presently operating thousands of aircraft; and managing the well-being of millions of passengers; with what is essentially a proverbial gun held to our heads. The timer is running out. The pressure is increasing every single day.To quote a pilot I spoke with earlier this week; 'I'm having difficulty sleeping...anything that wakes me puts my mind into overdrive...the stress is destroying my life.'After nearly two years of challenging COVID-19 operations as 'Essential Workers;' the unvaccinated members of our aviation community are faced with an additional truly unprecedented situation. We must choose between maintaining our livelihood or maintaining what is viewed by many as the most basic of all human rights; medical autonomy; personal control over what gets injected into our bodies.I can assure you that the overwhelming majority of my colleagues; the vaccinated and the unvaccinated alike; are uncomfortable with the coercive nature of this draconian ultimatum.It is my firm belief that the pressure on pilots will inevitably increase as the looming termination deadlines approach. I believe these vaccine mandates already have and will likely continue to narrow the precious safety margin we ALL work so hard to maintain.I would consider it a personal failure on my part if I did not report the critical human factors I have observed out on the line: significant increased stress; confessions of loss of sleep; frustration; anger; feelings of betrayal; mental; and physical fatigue. It all adds up.With the recent introduction of the vaccine mandates; I have watched what was already an unusually challenging COVID-19 operating environment deteriorate rapidly into something far worse. I am extremely concerned.We pilots have persevered; we have overcome the widely-reported increase in passenger disruptions since the introduction of the mask mandates. We've adjusted to the complexities involved with highly dynamic/rerouted flight schedules. We have scrambled to find food sources while previously reliable food options in hotels and airports have become inconsistent at best. We have flown safely despite all this.This past week thousands of 'Essential Workers' just like me were issued a cruel ultimatum: get vaccinated or you're fired! As the termination-or-comply clock is ticking; the stress levels and fatigue I've witnessed will only escalate.We've all been told; 'We have no viable choice but to comply with the U.S. Government mandate for Employees to be vaccinated.'I firmly believe the current COVID-19 vaccine mandate has all the makings of another bad policy which can easily become a contributing factor to an aviation-related mishap. Let's not ignore what's happening here. Many special people in this industry are distraught over having the will of others imposed upon them.This report is filed as an awareness builder for all parties involved; as well as a plea for help from anyone interested in helping us maintain our national aviation system with its enviable safety record. [I recommend] elimination of the forced vaccination policy.




Synopsis: Air carrier Captain reported that pilots and flight attendants are experiencing stress and reduced quality of life due to the upcoming deadline to either get the COVID-19 vaccination or be terminated from employment. Reportedly; this contributes to reduced margins of safety during flight operations.