A cabin attendant is scared to call in sick due to the repercussions from the company supervisor.

Attributes
ACN	611666
Time
Date	200403
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	611666
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Flight attendant introduced herself to the cockpit crew. She looked ill. She said that she was sick -- headache and fever and generally felt lousy. She said she was flying because she feared the repercussions from her supervisor if she were to call sick. After she left the flight deck, I discussed the situation with my co-pilot and we decided that it was unsafe to allow her to continue to fly a 4 hour leg feeling so poorly. I met with her and told her I was going to have her replaced and would try my best to take the blame so that she might not face a chewing out for being sick. In my judgement, company policies that cause a flight attendant to fear calling sick are unsafe in 2 ways: 1) that flight attendant might fly and be unable to adequately perform safety duties. 2) it interrupts my duties to need to evaluate the health of crew members and try to insulate them from adverse company repercussions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CABIN ATTENDANT IS SCARED TO CALL IN SICK DUE TO THE REPERCUSSIONS FROM THE COMPANY SUPVR.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT INTRODUCED HERSELF TO THE COCKPIT CREW. SHE LOOKED ILL. SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS SICK -- HEADACHE AND FEVER AND GENERALLY FELT LOUSY. SHE SAID SHE WAS FLYING BECAUSE SHE FEARED THE REPERCUSSIONS FROM HER SUPVR IF SHE WERE TO CALL SICK. AFTER SHE LEFT THE FLT DECK, I DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH MY CO-PLT AND WE DECIDED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO ALLOW HER TO CONTINUE TO FLY A 4 HR LEG FEELING SO POORLY. I MET WITH HER AND TOLD HER I WAS GOING TO HAVE HER REPLACED AND WOULD TRY MY BEST TO TAKE THE BLAME SO THAT SHE MIGHT NOT FACE A CHEWING OUT FOR BEING SICK. IN MY JUDGEMENT, COMPANY POLICIES THAT CAUSE A FLT ATTENDANT TO FEAR CALLING SICK ARE UNSAFE IN 2 WAYS: 1) THAT FLT ATTENDANT MIGHT FLY AND BE UNABLE TO ADEQUATELY PERFORM SAFETY DUTIES. 2) IT INTERRUPTS MY DUTIES TO NEED TO EVALUATE THE HEALTH OF CREW MEMBERS AND TRY TO INSULATE THEM FROM ADVERSE COMPANY REPERCUSSIONS.

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.