Narrative:

Prior to departure; we were informed that we had an ill flight attendant on board; and incorrectly assumed that this flight attendant was a deadheading flight attendant. About 1 hour into the flight; the purser called up to inform us that the flight attendant was on oxygen and later reported that she spent a significant amount of time vomiting in the lav. I inquired and was told that she had called crew scheduling the previous night and called in sick. Crew scheduling informed her that she would have to work the flight to ord or it would have to be cancelled; and she would be replaced at ord. She was either ordered or coerced to work while ill. I feel that this flight was dispatched illegally because we did not have a minimum number of capable flight attendants on board at departure. This incident is not the fault of the flight attendant; rather is representative of the company culture to force employees to report for duty when they are not healthy. As the flight crew we verified that we had the appropriate number of crew members on board; however had no way of knowing that in-flight management had ordered someone who was unfit to fly to work the flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPT RPTS THAT A FLT ATTENDANT ON HIS FLT WAS COERCED BY COMPANY INTO FLYING WHILE ILL.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP; WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE HAD AN ILL FLT ATTENDANT ON BOARD; AND INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT THIS FLT ATTENDANT WAS A DEADHEADING FLT ATTENDANT. ABOUT 1 HOUR INTO THE FLT; THE PURSER CALLED UP TO INFORM US THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS ON OXYGEN AND LATER RPTED THAT SHE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME VOMITING IN THE LAV. I INQUIRED AND WAS TOLD THAT SHE HAD CALLED CREW SCHEDULING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND CALLED IN SICK. CREW SCHEDULING INFORMED HER THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO WORK THE FLT TO ORD OR IT WOULD HAVE TO BE CANCELLED; AND SHE WOULD BE REPLACED AT ORD. SHE WAS EITHER ORDERED OR COERCED TO WORK WHILE ILL. I FEEL THAT THIS FLT WAS DISPATCHED ILLEGALLY BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE A MINIMUM NUMBER OF CAPABLE FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD AT DEP. THIS INCIDENT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE FLT ATTENDANT; RATHER IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY CULTURE TO FORCE EMPLOYEES TO REPORT FOR DUTY WHEN THEY ARE NOT HEALTHY. AS THE FLT CREW WE VERIFIED THAT WE HAD THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD; HOWEVER HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT INFLT MANAGEMENT HAD ORDERED SOMEONE WHO WAS UNFIT TO FLY TO WORK THE FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.