Narrative:

Coercion to not use available sick time when appropriate. On mar/sun/04, I was called into the office to discuss a union issue. In the process, the assistant chief pilot began querying me on a sick call from feb/sun/04. When I queried him on the issue as to whether he believed I was abusing the sick policy, he shook his head no. He then advised me that he was directed by the chief pilot to put me on a doctor's note or risk not being paid. As I have called scheduling with advance notice of sick calls and called to self clear to scheduling as well as the ZZZ1 and ZZZ2 chief pilots offices when well from illness, I did not think that the parameters of the attendance contract policy were being followed, that the company was taking the step of putting a letter in my file after only 4 sick calls from mar/wed/03 to present and no belief of abuse of the sick policy or my contract. This was a direct attempt to coerce me into flying sick. As many of the sick calls I have are due to clogged ears during a cold or in the case of feb/sun/04, food poisoning, which I advised the scheduler was the issue, doctor's visits are not required. As it is my obligation under the far's to call sick when sick, I feel the company's action subverts this obligation and the far's. I feel that, had this letter been in my file, I would have feared for my job and come to work sick, even though the far's require me to do otherwise. With this letter in my file, I feel that the company is sending me a message that safety of flight takes a back seat to their inability to schedule manning appropriately to cover. I have been advised that this is a change to the past practice as well as an effort to cover the severe lack of staffing we have been subjected to over the last 6 months. This action interferes with my obligations to both the flight manual and the far's regarding flying while sick and compromises the safety of the operation. As two of my sick calls were as a direct result from flying with first officer's who were sick and afraid to call in sick because of this new policy. I think it is appropriate to file this report as I believe the company is attempting to undermine the far's and the flight manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB COMMUTER CAPT REPORTS BEING COERCED BY THE COMPANY TO NOT CALL IN SICK, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FAR'S.

Narrative: COERCION TO NOT USE AVAILABLE SICK TIME WHEN APPROPRIATE. ON MAR/SUN/04, I WAS CALLED INTO THE OFFICE TO DISCUSS A UNION ISSUE. IN THE PROCESS, THE ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT BEGAN QUERYING ME ON A SICK CALL FROM FEB/SUN/04. WHEN I QUERIED HIM ON THE ISSUE AS TO WHETHER HE BELIEVED I WAS ABUSING THE SICK POLICY, HE SHOOK HIS HEAD NO. HE THEN ADVISED ME THAT HE WAS DIRECTED BY THE CHIEF PLT TO PUT ME ON A DOCTOR'S NOTE OR RISK NOT BEING PAID. AS I HAVE CALLED SCHEDULING WITH ADVANCE NOTICE OF SICK CALLS AND CALLED TO SELF CLR TO SCHEDULING AS WELL AS THE ZZZ1 AND ZZZ2 CHIEF PLTS OFFICES WHEN WELL FROM ILLNESS, I DID NOT THINK THAT THE PARAMETERS OF THE ATTENDANCE CONTRACT POLICY WERE BEING FOLLOWED, THAT THE COMPANY WAS TAKING THE STEP OF PUTTING A LETTER IN MY FILE AFTER ONLY 4 SICK CALLS FROM MAR/WED/03 TO PRESENT AND NO BELIEF OF ABUSE OF THE SICK POLICY OR MY CONTRACT. THIS WAS A DIRECT ATTEMPT TO COERCE ME INTO FLYING SICK. AS MANY OF THE SICK CALLS I HAVE ARE DUE TO CLOGGED EARS DURING A COLD OR IN THE CASE OF FEB/SUN/04, FOOD POISONING, WHICH I ADVISED THE SCHEDULER WAS THE ISSUE, DOCTOR'S VISITS ARE NOT REQUIRED. AS IT IS MY OBLIGATION UNDER THE FAR'S TO CALL SICK WHEN SICK, I FEEL THE COMPANY'S ACTION SUBVERTS THIS OBLIGATION AND THE FAR'S. I FEEL THAT, HAD THIS LETTER BEEN IN MY FILE, I WOULD HAVE FEARED FOR MY JOB AND COME TO WORK SICK, EVEN THOUGH THE FAR'S REQUIRE ME TO DO OTHERWISE. WITH THIS LETTER IN MY FILE, I FEEL THAT THE COMPANY IS SENDING ME A MESSAGE THAT SAFETY OF FLT TAKES A BACK SEAT TO THEIR INABILITY TO SCHEDULE MANNING APPROPRIATELY TO COVER. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THIS IS A CHANGE TO THE PAST PRACTICE AS WELL AS AN EFFORT TO COVER THE SEVERE LACK OF STAFFING WE HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS. THIS ACTION INTERFERES WITH MY OBLIGATIONS TO BOTH THE FLT MANUAL AND THE FAR'S REGARDING FLYING WHILE SICK AND COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF THE OP. AS TWO OF MY SICK CALLS WERE AS A DIRECT RESULT FROM FLYING WITH FO'S WHO WERE SICK AND AFRAID TO CALL IN SICK BECAUSE OF THIS NEW POLICY. I THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE TO FILE THIS RPT AS I BELIEVE THE COMPANY IS ATTEMPTING TO UNDERMINE THE FAR'S AND THE FLT MANUAL.

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.