Narrative:

During preflight of air carrier X flight abc on feb/tue/02 from sfo to las, one of my flight attendants informed me that she was ill with a sinus infection. When I asked her why she was at work, she told me that the company schedulers told her that if she called in sick at an outstation she would have to go see a doctor and obtain a written excuse. The assumption is that she would have to go to a hospital emergency room because of the off hours and pay for the examination on her own. She felt she could not afford the time or the hassle. I told her that to me it seemed a form of company intimidation to force her to fly when she was ill. She told me that she would like to try to fly to las vegas and see how she felt about continuing the trip on to cmh. I went into operations and called my dispatcher. I told him I thought it might be dangerous for her. He agreed and connected me with a pilot scheduler. I told the pilot scheduler that I wanted him to tell the flight attendant scheduler that I wanted this flight attendant replaced in las. When I got back to the aircraft, flight attendant scheduler called my first officer on his cell phone. She, the flight attendant scheduler, wanted verbal verification that this flight attendant had agreed to fly to las on a 'recorded line.' when we got to las, the flight attendant reported that she felt sinus pressure and was otherwise ok. I had her replaced. She became very upset when company scheduler insisted that before she rode home to phx she would be required to go to a medical clinic and be examined by a doctor. When the flight attendant asked how she would get to the clinic, the company told her it was up to her. Again, we presumed this flight attendant would assume all costs. We left her in tears at the gate. To me, it appears this company (air carrier X) is intimidating and coercing flight attendants to fly when they are sick by demanding that they go and be examined by medical personnel when at an out-station. They make no effort to cover costs. I feel that this episode could have seriously injured this young lady. If I had it to do all over gain, I would not have departed sfo for las. I am aware of far's that cover pilots, but not flight attendants flying when ill.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 FLT ATTENDANT, DUE TO ILLNESS, WAS REMOVED FROM FLT IN LAS.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT OF ACR X FLT ABC ON FEB/TUE/02 FROM SFO TO LAS, ONE OF MY FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED ME THAT SHE WAS ILL WITH A SINUS INFECTION. WHEN I ASKED HER WHY SHE WAS AT WORK, SHE TOLD ME THAT THE COMPANY SCHEDULERS TOLD HER THAT IF SHE CALLED IN SICK AT AN OUTSTATION SHE WOULD HAVE TO GO SEE A DOCTOR AND OBTAIN A WRITTEN EXCUSE. THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A HOSPITAL EMER ROOM BECAUSE OF THE OFF HRS AND PAY FOR THE EXAM ON HER OWN. SHE FELT SHE COULD NOT AFFORD THE TIME OR THE HASSLE. I TOLD HER THAT TO ME IT SEEMED A FORM OF COMPANY INTIMIDATION TO FORCE HER TO FLY WHEN SHE WAS ILL. SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO FLY TO LAS VEGAS AND SEE HOW SHE FELT ABOUT CONTINUING THE TRIP ON TO CMH. I WENT INTO OPS AND CALLED MY DISPATCHER. I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE DANGEROUS FOR HER. HE AGREED AND CONNECTED ME WITH A PLT SCHEDULER. I TOLD THE PLT SCHEDULER THAT I WANTED HIM TO TELL THE FLT ATTENDANT SCHEDULER THAT I WANTED THIS FLT ATTENDANT REPLACED IN LAS. WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE ACFT, FLT ATTENDANT SCHEDULER CALLED MY FO ON HIS CELL PHONE. SHE, THE FLT ATTENDANT SCHEDULER, WANTED VERBAL VERIFICATION THAT THIS FLT ATTENDANT HAD AGREED TO FLY TO LAS ON A 'RECORDED LINE.' WHEN WE GOT TO LAS, THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT SHE FELT SINUS PRESSURE AND WAS OTHERWISE OK. I HAD HER REPLACED. SHE BECAME VERY UPSET WHEN COMPANY SCHEDULER INSISTED THAT BEFORE SHE RODE HOME TO PHX SHE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GO TO A MEDICAL CLINIC AND BE EXAMINED BY A DOCTOR. WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT ASKED HOW SHE WOULD GET TO THE CLINIC, THE COMPANY TOLD HER IT WAS UP TO HER. AGAIN, WE PRESUMED THIS FLT ATTENDANT WOULD ASSUME ALL COSTS. WE LEFT HER IN TEARS AT THE GATE. TO ME, IT APPEARS THIS COMPANY (ACR X) IS INTIMIDATING AND COERCING FLT ATTENDANTS TO FLY WHEN THEY ARE SICK BY DEMANDING THAT THEY GO AND BE EXAMINED BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL WHEN AT AN OUT-STATION. THEY MAKE NO EFFORT TO COVER COSTS. I FEEL THAT THIS EPISODE COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY INJURED THIS YOUNG LADY. IF I HAD IT TO DO ALL OVER GAIN, I WOULD NOT HAVE DEPARTED SFO FOR LAS. I AM AWARE OF FAR'S THAT COVER PLTS, BUT NOT FLT ATTENDANTS FLYING WHEN ILL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.