Narrative:

During bankruptcy negotiations with pilot union, recently and unilaterally imposed a sick policy (without the concurrence of union safety) which is a great step backwards in the promotion of 'safety-first' in air carrier operation. If a pilot calls in sick for any trip, the company pays them a maximum of his line value, -5 hours. In other words, the pilot is penalized for being sick! In light of the huge pay and benefits cuts air carrier pilots have endured under threatened liquidation (67% in my case), no pilot can afford this penalty. The result is obvious. Pilots are flying while ill! I have personally flown with 4 capts with severe colds which not only subjected me to illness, but radically degraded their plting skills. In-as-much as most of our pilots are age 50+ yrs, flight and duty times are much increased, elimination of duty regulations has increased monthly flying to 16-18 days and duty rest periods have been greatly reduced, not to mention the stress of bankruptcy, distressed termination of retirement benefits and adversarial employee/management relations, you have a recipe for disaster. This sick leave policy is not a contractual issue, but an issue of industry safety! Crew fatigue is a well-documented detriment to safe operation and now we have flight deck crew being essentially 'black mailed' into flying while physiologically degraded!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FO RPTS HIS COMPANY PENALIZES PLTS FINANCIALLY WHEN THEY OBSERVE, AND ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH FAR 61 PT 53.

Narrative: DURING BANKRUPTCY NEGOTIATIONS WITH PLT UNION, RECENTLY AND UNILATERALLY IMPOSED A SICK POLICY (WITHOUT THE CONCURRENCE OF UNION SAFETY) WHICH IS A GREAT STEP BACKWARDS IN THE PROMOTION OF 'SAFETY-FIRST' IN ACR OP. IF A PLT CALLS IN SICK FOR ANY TRIP, THE COMPANY PAYS THEM A MAX OF HIS LINE VALUE, -5 HRS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE PLT IS PENALIZED FOR BEING SICK! IN LIGHT OF THE HUGE PAY AND BENEFITS CUTS ACR PLTS HAVE ENDURED UNDER THREATENED LIQUIDATION (67% IN MY CASE), NO PLT CAN AFFORD THIS PENALTY. THE RESULT IS OBVIOUS. PLTS ARE FLYING WHILE ILL! I HAVE PERSONALLY FLOWN WITH 4 CAPTS WITH SEVERE COLDS WHICH NOT ONLY SUBJECTED ME TO ILLNESS, BUT RADICALLY DEGRADED THEIR PLTING SKILLS. IN-AS-MUCH AS MOST OF OUR PLTS ARE AGE 50+ YRS, FLT AND DUTY TIMES ARE MUCH INCREASED, ELIMINATION OF DUTY REGS HAS INCREASED MONTHLY FLYING TO 16-18 DAYS AND DUTY REST PERIODS HAVE BEEN GREATLY REDUCED, NOT TO MENTION THE STRESS OF BANKRUPTCY, DISTRESSED TERMINATION OF RETIREMENT BENEFITS AND ADVERSARIAL EMPLOYEE/MGMNT RELATIONS, YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. THIS SICK LEAVE POLICY IS NOT A CONTRACTUAL ISSUE, BUT AN ISSUE OF INDUSTRY SAFETY! CREW FATIGUE IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED DETRIMENT TO SAFE OP AND NOW WE HAVE FLT DECK CREW BEING ESSENTIALLY 'BLACK MAILED' INTO FLYING WHILE PHYSIOLOGICALLY DEGRADED!

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.