In response to the growing spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Bill Ermatinger announced last week that waiting period pay is being offered beginning July 26 to fully vaccinated employees who test positive for COVID-19 and do not have the ability to work from home.

This pay is designed to compensate fully vaccinated employees for the week (up to 40 hours) they are out of work before they are eligible for short-term disability or sickness and accident benefits. Employees who test positive for COVID-19 and are not fully vaccinated will not qualify for waiting period pay.

A list of frequently asked questions has been developed to provide more information about how the waiting period pay process will work at Newport News Shipbuilding.

Shipbuilders are reminded to self-report their vaccination status in UPoint, which can be accessed at www.hiibenefits.com, if they are not vaccinated or if they received their vaccination in the community. Employees who received their vaccine at NNS through QuadMed do not need to self-report.

NNS will continue to reexamine COVID-19 policies implemented during the pandemic. Any additional changes or updates will be communicated to employees as decisions are made.